WUPATKI NATIONAL MONUMENT

"WUPATKI FEELS LIKE a wild place,” says Robert Wallace, an interpretive park ranger. “The wide-open spaces, distant horizons and variety of rocks — like the bones of the Earth — make the place unique.” That allows for spectacular, unobstructed views of sunrise and sunset, especially during guided overnight backcountry hikes. These and other discovery hikes offer a wider view of the park and a greater understanding of the many cultures that lived and gathered at Wupatki over thousands of years. Wallace gets inspiration from these ancient people who lived simply and successfully. They give him hope for himself and for people in general. “The Puebloans obtained everything they needed from the land: their food, their water, their building materials,” he says. “Yet they had a much lighter impact on the natural world than we do today. We can learn a lot from them about reducing our impact and getting by with less.”