Palatki Heritage Site

If you are visiting Sedona, you need to make the trip out to the Palatki Heritage Site to view the ancient pictographs. It is about 18 miles northwest of town, on Forest Road, which is off Forest Service Road 525 (N. Loy Butte Rd.).

Palatki Heritage Site is a Sinaguan cliff dwelling and pictograph site along Red Canyon in north-central Arizona. And, it was occupied between AD 1150 – 1350.

Photographs from Palatiki Heritage Site

Compared to Mesa Verde and other large cliff-dwelling sites, Palatki’s ruins are meager. But, it is thought to have been home to only two clan families.

Rather than the pueblo, the real attraction of this park are the well-preserved pictographs. Some of the pictographs are as old as 2000 BCE. However, most of the pictographs are additions from the Sinagua peoples dating between 900 and 1300 CE. After the Sinagua habitation, Yavapai and Apache people moved into this area. In fact, these two groups are responsible for the pictographs dating between 1400 and 1875 CE.

A grouping of pictographs at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

A closeup of a ridge that corresponds to the eastern cliffs at Palatki. The position of the sun, just to the south of the flat butte, corresponds to the winter solstice.

One of the pictographs shows a ridge of mountains with the sun above the ridge. It is felt that this ridge corresponds to the eastern cliffs at Palatki. The position of the sun, just to the south of the flat butte, corresponds to the winter solstice.

The surrounding red and buff sandstone cliffs are visible from under the overhang of an alcove at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

A pool near the pictograph panels at Palatki Heritage Site reflects the walls, the mountains, and the blue sky.

Overview of a grouping of pictographs at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

Closeup of a grouping of pictographs on a soot-covered cave wallat Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

The remains of a wall and roof of a cowboy camp built into an al near cove are on display at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

Water stains cause picturesque streaks in an alcove at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

A grouping of pictographs on a soot-covered cave wallat Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

This is a shot of the main surviving walls at the Sinaguan cliff dwelling at Palatiki, near Sedona, Arizona.

Bright green moss grows on a sandstone boulder along the trail to the pictographs at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

This beautiful sun-dappled path leads to the pictograph trail at Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

A closeup of the red sandstone cliffs that surround Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

Closeup of the trail guide sign near the parking lot of Palatki Heritage Site, near Sedona, Arizona.

View from the access road to Palatki Heritage Site at the red rock cliffs that shelter the Sinaguan pictographs and ruins. Located near Sedona, Arizona.

A view of the sandstone cliffs that surround Palatki Heritage Site near Sedona, Arizona.

A closeup of a doorway in one of the remaining walls of the cliff dwelling at Palatki Heritage site near Sedona, Arizona. Notice the log lentel.

Other Sinaguan Sites

Palatiki is one of four sites around Sedona that should be on every photographers itinerary. Here are the other three sites:

Learn more about Palatki Heritage Site

Here are some resources to help you plan your visit to Palatki:

Visit this United States Forest Service site for up-to-date information and driving directions: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55368
Download the forest service PDF guide to Palatki, as well as nearby heritage resources: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3806979.pdf
Read the Palatiki portion of Jesse Fewkes’ monograph, ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO ARIZONA IN 1895, republished by Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23691/23691-h/23691-h.htm#Page_553
This is the Verde Valley Archaeology Center’s dedicated page about Palatki: https://www.verdevalleyarchaeology.org/Palatki

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