What is it? |
The remains of an ancient sandstone village built by the Puebloan people! |
What makes it historical? |
This pueblo has been around since at least the 1200s AD, though people lived in this area for at least 13,000 years! That makes this what archaeologists call a persistent place! Large communities like Puerco Pueblo built up around rivers during the droughts of the 1200s. At its height, this community counted over 200 residents! Being by the river gave them great access to trade and transport, not to mention the all-important water for agriculture!
Increased desertification led the Puebloan people to move on in the mid to late 1300s, but their descendants still return to this site to pray and leave offerings for their ancestors! |
How can I Help the Helpers? |
HERE’S HOW:
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer at Petrified Forest National Park!
- Donate to Petrified Forest National Park!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
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Where is this place? |
Puerco Pueblo is about 5 miles south of I-40 on Petrified Forest Road, and 15 miles north of the Rainbow Forest Museum! That’s Holbrook, AZ 86025!
From Flagstaff: ~127mi (205km) — 2.2hrs From Phoenix: ~221mi (356km) — 3.7hrs From Tucson: ~268mi (432km) — 4.5hrs From Yuma: ~402mi (647km) — 6.7hrs |
When should I go? |
The park road is open at different hours each month, with longer hours in summer and shorter hours in winter, so the safe zone to visit is between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM! |