One Mile North of Winslow and I-40 in Arizona is the Homolovi State Park which is filled with Anasazi / Ancestral Puebloan Ruins, petroglyphs, and plenty of wildlife! There are two main sites; Homolovi I & Homolovi II that you can visit with Homolovi II containing a paved walkway and Interpretive Signs. Homolovi II may have had up to 2,000 rooms. There is also a campground with plenty of sites for both RV and tent.

The word Homolovi is a Hopi word meaning Place of the Hills. Those hills are the ruins of Pueblos and Villages from the 1200-1400ADs. Although, the Hopi do not call them ruins, but rather living sites. There are actually 300 archaeological sites within and around the State Park.

To the west is fantastic views of the San Francisco Peaks, the mountains which the Hopi and other Puebloans believe the Kachinas reside. It’s believed the people at Homolovi traded Cotton, which grows along the banks of the very nearby Little Colorado River for pottery from the Hopi Mesas. Eventually the people at Homolovi either joined their Anasazi brethren who went south to Mexico or they went north to join the Hopis. The Hopis call these people their ancestors or Hisat’sinom although not all of them are, as some went south. Homolovi was one of the largest sites in the area with some of the most kivas in the American Southwest. One of these kivas is square and can be seen at Homolovi II where it’s been partially reconstructed after being damaged by pothunters. For more information on the people and the time period, listen to my episode over the Ancient Ones and their migrations.

The short Tsu’vo Petroglyph hike is fantastic and allows you to see spirals, snakes, sunbursts, and more. The Little Colorado River has damaged a lot of the sites and has completely erased the old Mormon town of Sunset, Arizona. All that remains of the outpost is a cemetery. When my wife and I were there in July of 2023 we saw burros, rabbits, and plenty of lizards. If staying at the campground, make sure to catch the sunset!