May 2, 2016 – DAY 16

My godfamily came into town for a day, and we decided to check out the Palatki Heritage Site inside of Coconino National Forest. We had seen signs for it since arriving on Loy Butte road, and wanted to make sure to see it before heading out.  You need to call between 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for reservations as they only allow 10 people on the .25 mile trail at a time. It was easy getting a reservation and the tour is free, but you have to pay $5 to park unless you have a Red Rock Pass, Interagency pass, or America the Beautiful Pass. Check in at the main house, there is a small gift shop, small museum and a short video to watch if you have time. The first stop is nine-room ruin that used to inhabit 40 to 80 people. The docent at the top was very helpful with providing information about the people and time period.  The second stop is the grotto, cave art (they believe that the art shows that the Navajo, Yavapai and Apachi, among others, lived in the dwellings at one point) and Charles Willard’s dwelling he made himself in the 1920s, and also has a docent present. The entire tour takes just over an hour. The walk itself does have a small climb that may not be suitable for everyone.  This location is looking for docent volunteers, as they were very short and not all the ruins were open to view.  They are also looking for RVers who want to commit about 3 summer months to being hosts.  You receive full hook ups for volunteering. We definitely recommend checking this place out.

Godparents were really interested in the video!

Clan emblem

You can see the individual finger indents that were made when they made their home.

Cave art from multiple tribes

Natural water run off

Joe in the doorway of Charles Willard’s home.