By Cathy Severson
When people think of the National Parks in four corners USA, they usually think of Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. There are less popular parks that are worth a visit. On our recent trip to the area, we visited Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monument. We also visited the Petrified Forest National Park.
Situated just north of Flagstaff on Highway 89, Sunset Crater Volcano and Wupatki National Monuments are worth a quick side trip. We entered Sunset Crater Volcano from the south. The entrance fee includes both monuments. There is a back road that connects the two monuments together.
A brief visit to the small visitors’ center explains the geology of the area. Around 1100 A.D. a volcano erupted spewing lava, ash and cinders over an 800-mile square area. Evidence of the volcano still exists in the 600 hills and mountains that dot the region. Significant lava flows are visible from the road and people can hike to the top of the Sunset Crater. At the time of the volcano, people lived throughout the area. It’s interesting to imagine what they thought of the eruptions and how it impacted life in the area.
Just north of Sunset Crater sits the Wuaptki National Monument, a great representation of the pueblo communities that dotted the landscape one thousand years ago. We only had time to briefly visit the small visitors center and walk to the adjacent Waptki Pueblo. Other pueblos may be visited throughout the park depending on how much time you want to spend.
We spent about 2 hours at the two monuments on our way from Arizona to Cortez, Colorado. It was informative and enjoyable and well worth the detour.
On our return trip to Arizona, we drove from Durango through Farmington, New Mexico, so we could visit the Petrified Forest National Park that straddles Interstate 40 east of Holbrook. A visitors center is right off the highway, but there is a 30 minute drive to get to the Rainbow Forest Museum and the Giant Logs with the most impressive view of petrified logs. On the drive through the park, there are numerous places to pull over to view the landscape of the painted desert.
The stop at the Rainbow Museum paints a picture of a lush swamp that existed in the area in a time before the dinosaur ruled the land. Fossils of the animals that roamed the area 225 million years ago are on display next to huge logs of petrified wood.
I love the big national parks that draw millions of people a year. A side trip to the less popular parks/monuments is worth the extra time. The four corners USA area has a number of great parks to visit.