Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Sandal Trail: [September 1993] Betatakin, Navajo for Ledge House, sits tucked in a natural alcove that measures 370 feet across, 135 feet deep, and 452 feet high. The dwelling contains 135 rooms and 1 Kiva—the inhabitants, thought to be Anasazi, built this structure and abandoned it all within two generations, between 1260 and 1300. The easy, paved trail winds down to Betatakin Point Overlook, passing through a pinon-juniper forest along the way—hike this trail down to the overlook for sweeping views of the canyon and the Betatakin ruins across the canyon. The trail is paved, not very steep, and it is wheelchair accessible. It is a mere one mile roundtrip—a small price to pay in order to see such a great view!

NBH Tip: If you want a good luck at the ruins, take binoculars or if you have more time, hike with a ranger on the Betatakin Trail, which takes you right into the midst of the cliff dwellings. The ranger-guided hike starts around 8:15 am daily in the summer, and is on a first come, first served basis—this hike, unlike the Sandal Trail, is rated as strenuous, but you will get to see the ruins up close.

 

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Balcony House: [July 1997] A hike to Balcony House can only be accomplished on a one hour, ranger-lead tour—you can purchase your tickets at the Far View Visitor Center. The tour begins with a 100 foot descent into the canyon below the dwelling, next you must climb up to the cliff dwelling, how do you do that you ask—well get ready to test your fear of heights because the way up is on a 32 foot wooden ladder! This is really fun but it does make your knees shake a little! After climbing up to the cliff dwelling, you can see great views of the canyon and you are up-close and personal with this ancient home—imagining the people who built this amazing structure going about their lives high on this cliff is quite a humbling experience. The next challenge to test your fears involves crawling through a 12 foot long narrow tunnel—if you have a fear of enclosed spaces this is not the tour for you, as this is the only way out! Once you make your way through the tunnel, you get to test your climbing skills again—this time it is a 60 foot climb out of the canyon on a combination of steps cut into the stone cliff and ladders. This is one of the most challenging tours to a cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde, and Balcony House will really give you an adventure, especially if you are afraid of heights or small spaces.

NBH Tip: This is a strenuous tour due to the climbing and the fact that the elevation is around 7,000 feet—do not attempt this hike if you have heart or respiratory problems. Furthermore, you really need to ask yourself how afraid you are of heights and small spaces—if you actually have a phobia this is not the tour for you. Lastly, listen closely to the history the ranger provides on the tour, it makes the hike a more intense experience.

 

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

Wupatki Pueblo Trail: [July 1997, May 2006] The ruins of Wupatki Pueblo are one of the most impressive sights of an archeological tour of the desert southwest, not only because of its sheer size, but also because of the unique features such as the ballcourt and blowhole located near the ruin. During the prime of Wupatki’s existence, in the twelfth century, it was in all probability the largest and most influential pueblo in the area. These impressive ruins are reached via a short, 0.5 mile, paved trail that starts behind the visitor center. The house, the largest pueblo in the park, sits on the edge of a small plateau with unobstructed views eastward towards the Painted Desert and the Little Colorado River. In order to get the most out of your exploration of this pueblo, be sure to obtain one of the self-guiding brochures available from the visitor center. In addition to the 20 interpretive stops explained within its pages, the brochure also has extensive information on the history of the pueblo and its people. Of particular interest to us, was the community room—reached via a spur trail, and the ballcourt and blowhole that are located at the end of the trail. The ceremonial ballcourt is a unique feature, because structures such as this are generally only found much further south. The blowhole, a fascinating feature at the end of the hike, is a vent of unknown depth that is linked to underground caves which either blow out or suck in air, depending on the ambient pressure. After exploring these features, return to the trailhead the way you came, this time hiking behind the Wupatki Pueblo for additional views of the remains of its nearly 100 rooms.

NBH Tip: It is possible to make this loop hike even shorter by skipping the ballcourt and blowhole. This is accomplished by taking a left at marker number 10, rather than continuing straight along the trail. We highly advise against this, as the ballcourt and blowhole are definite highlights of the trail, but it is a possibility for those only interested in the pueblo.

 

Wupatki Revisited May 2006:

 

Lomaki and Box Canyon Pueblos Trail: [May 2006] A short hike along this trail, located in Wupatki National Monument, gets you up close and personal with three pueblos (North Box Canyon, Lomaki, and South Box Canyon Pueblos) that were built between 1190 and 1240 a.d. The first structure explored along the trail is South Box Canyon Pueblo, followed by North Box Canyon Pueblo—the two pueblos sit facing each other across the span of Box Canyon. The two Box Canyon Pueblos are reached via short spur trails off the main trail, which leads to the larger Lomaki Pueblo. Lomaki, the Hopi word for “beautiful house,” was constructed of limestone and sandstone and included nine rooms, several of which were two story structures. The Lomaki and Box Canyon Trail is only 0.25 miles long, for a roundtrip hike of just 0.5 miles, but in this short distance we marveled at the pueblos perched on the edge of ancient cracks in the earth, and we were lucky enough to spot a brightly colored collared lizard. Ola, Sully, and I must have taken 20 pictures of the vibrant reptile as he sat perched on a rock near Lomaki Pueblo basking in the sun. After observing the lizard for several minutes, we explored the rooms of the pueblo and then peered down into the earthcrack from the edge of the dwelling—it would have been a nice, but harsh place to have lived. In addition to the ancient dwellings, you can also enjoy the views of the San Francisco Peaks which include Humphreys Peak—the high point of Arizona at 12,633 feet.

NBH Tip: An open area in the pueblo, near the rim of the earthcrack, is known as the plaza. Be sure to explore this area, which was important as a center for daily activities including pottery making, crafting arrowheads from obsidian, and preparing food.  

 

Salinas Pueblo National Monument, New Mexico

Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico

West Ruin Self-Guided Trail: [July 1997] Aztec Ruins provides hikers with a unique opportunity to explore the ancient Puebloan “Great House” —known as West Ruin, along a 0.5 mile trail that winds through ancient rooms and ceremonial gathering places. As with several other archaeological sites in the southwest, Aztec Ruins was misnamed by early settlers who mistakenly assumed the dwellings were built by the Aztecs of Central Mexico, when in fact Aztec Ruin was built around the 12th century by the Anasazi, ancestors of the Puebloan people who still call Arizona and New Mexico home today. The self-guided trail allows for up-close views of the stone masonry and well-preserved ruins. The trail first leads to high vantage point with a view of the village, it then meanders in and around the ancient structures complete with original plaster walls and wood roofing, a reed mat left by the inhabitants, grinding stones, and strange “T” shaped doorways. After exploring the main ruin, the trail returns to the visitor center via the Great Kiva, a reconstructed semi-subterranean ceremonial structure over 41 feet in diameter. The Great Kiva is thought to have been the center of social and religious activity—take your time exploring this sacred place before ending your hike.

NBH Tip: Please treat this special place with the respect it deserves—ruin walls are fragile and crumble easily if walked on or climbed, so do stay on the trail.

 

Catacombs, Paris, France

Catacombs of Paris: [April 2000] Far below the bustling streets of Paris, in tunnels damp and dark, lie the disinterred skeletons of 6 million Parisians. Artistically arranged in macabre patterns their bones form a walkway of death—to hike along this eerie tunnel you must take the metro to the Place Denfert-Rochereau. As you emerge from the underground, you will immediately see the entrance to this underworld. Once inside the entrance, you will descend a dark spiral staircase 82 steps down into “The Empire of the Dead”—you will then soon feel the dampness creep into your own bones as you walk among the neatly stacked rows of the dead. Family members consecrated the bones of these relatives to the Cimetiere des Innocents, but they were moved below the city, to what is now the Catacombs, between 1785 and 1850 in an effort to sanitize Paris. This is quite a spectacle to behold and it was definitely one of our most unusual hikes. The trail will take about 45 minutes to complete and is about 0.6 miles long (1 km). The tunnel stays at a cool 52 degrees F year round so bring a jacket.

NBH Tip: At the end of the walk, you will ascend another staircase back into the light of day, at this point, you and your belongings will be searched to make sure that you have not tried to bring home a “souvenir”—how creepy is that? We did this hike on April 1, 2000 and I guess it brought out the devil in me, because I couldn’t resist playing an April Fool’s prank on Kat and Pick. In one of the darker tunnels, I yelled rat, scaring them both into a little dance. Unfortunately, I also inadvertently scared the guy a few yards in front of us—my apologies to him—I will try to control myself in the future.

Stonehenge, Salisbury, England

Stonehenge: [April 2000] This prehistoric monument is a World Heritage Site and it is one of the most spectacular ruins in England, and all of the British Isles for that matter. We have all seen photographs of this recognizable stone circle, but to see it in person and to hike around it is absolutely amazing—the hike around the circle takes approximately 30 minutes, longer if you are a shutterbug like myself. The walk is less than a mile but the views are outstanding. In addition to Stonehenge itself, you can often see dark black ravens resting in the indentations of the huge Sarsen Stones. The stones were brought to this area from Marlborough Downs 30kms (20 miles) away, over 1000 years ago. The smaller stones are known as Bluestones and are from the mystical Preseli Mountains in Wales, an astounding 385kms (240 miles) away.

NBH Tip: You can pick up an audio tape tour in any language that you prefer at the beginning of the trail, but we liked just walking with a brochure that pointed out different structures—the silence lends itself to the druid atmosphere much better.