Palatki Heritage Site

The Palatki Heritage Site cliff dwelling and rock art site is located near the town of Sedona in north-central Arizona. Currently managed by the U.S. Forest Service under the Red Rock Pass Program, the site is open to the general public for visits seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). A small visitor center and bookstore, run by the Arizona Natural History Association, is located a short distance from the parking lot. There are three trails at Palatki Heritage Site, one trail that takes you up to the Sinagua cliff dwellings, one that takes you to a view of the dwellings and a third that goes to the alcoves that shelter the painted symbols, or pictographs from every native culture to ever occupy the Verde Valley. These trails, each ¼ mile one way making the round trip distance one and one half mile, are fairly easy but they are not accessible to most wheelchairs. For the months of July and August, visitors will be viewing the Palatki Cliff Dwelling from a distance because the trail up to the dwelling will be closed. During this time, visitors will be directed to the Vista trail, which has an excellent view of the dwelling. Visitors will be sent in groups to the viewing area every 20 minutes. Please call for reservations so that visitor use can be spread out through the day. Managers plan to reopen the trail up to the dwelling in September. When the trail up to the dwelling reopens, access is limited to no more than ten people at one time and visitors will not get to enter the dwelling. Groups will be scheduled to go up to the dwelling every 20 minutes starting at 9:40. No group will be scheduled for 12:40 in order to give the docent at the site a break. Visitors with reservations will be given priority if they arrive at the time they have reserved.