Arizona National Parks

Casa Grande National Monument is an ancient ruin of the Sonoran Desert people who lived in this area of Arizona over 650 years ago. Even though the purpose of the structure is unclear they know that the structure was built around 1350 CE. And like most of the ruins in the West it was abandoned 100 years later around 1450 CE. Of course the boys were able to get another badge and learn about the native population that lived int his area before the white man came. There are five different compounds here in the Casa Granda area but you are only aloud to see this one.

Badge Time

The boys learned all about the precious resource that water becomes out here and how ancient peoples harnessed it. They went home and built replicas of the Casa Grande in their Minecraft worlds and continued to see examples of the irrigation techniques in other areas around Arizona. I loved that they were able to learn about the continuing spiritual relevance for the native people in the area as well. It was awe inspiring to hear them speak about how they felt connected to their ancestors while they are in this space

The next National Park was Montezuma's Castle, a set of Cliff dwellings around the Valley Verde area. This is an ancient cliff dwelling in an alcove looking over Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. The ancient Sinagua people occupied this area from around 1200 CE to 1450 CE and like the Sonoran people they just left the area, and the structures were abandoned. We are seeing this trend in all of the ruins in the Arizona area.









Next door to the Castle is the Montezuma Well where these ancient people believed all life came from. Montezuma Well pool is located in a travertine (re-deposited limestone) spring mound, 135' deep and 470' across. This unique aquatic environment is home to a small amphipod, Hyalella montezuma, The scientists believe this animal is not found anywhere else in the world.









Just 30 miles away from these two sites is the Tuzigoot National Monument which is home to a 110 room hilltop pueblo built around 1100 CE and abandoned around 1400 CE. Like the other sites there is no written record as to why the people left or what happened to them. We have learned a ton of information about the people who lived in this country before the first explorers arrived.

Tuzigoot

petrogyphs

Badges, we need more stinking badges

Meeting Area

Now, we missed a couple of ruins in this state which we will hit next fall or winter but the last one was near flagstaff and was another hilltop pueblo. Wupatki was built around 1040 CE but due to the active volcano, which you can see from the hills above Wupatki, the ancient Sinaguan people were forced out around 1225 CE. 

View from the top

Its Godzira

Our last stop besides the Grand Canyon and Glen Canyon was Sunset Crater Volcano Which was the cause of the ancient people of this area leaving around 1225 CE. The landscape was covered in old lava fields and most of the mountains here were active volcanos at one time. what a neat place to explore

No Jacob don't fall in the lava!

This land of ours is wonderful and full of history and I know we have said it before but the Junior ranger programs at our national sites are well done and full of information for the kids.