The Grand Circle Tour: A travel and reference guide to the American Southwest and the ancient peoples of the Colorado Plateau

by Michael Royea

Overview

The Grand Circle Tour is a circuit around a ring of National Parks and Native American sites in the Four Corners Region of the Southwest. It encompasses some of the most significant ancient history in North America: remanants of the Anasazi civilization. From the well-known sites like Zion and Bryce to the little known and well-preserved areas, Royea provides the kind of detailed guidance never before available in guidebook form.

The Grand Circle Tour consists of two parts: Part 1 is divided into 14 days and visits 21 different sites, with an additional 20 sites covered that are nearby. The second part of the book has a timeline for the Anasazi. It's a history of Native American occupation of the Southwest from 10,000BC to the present day. The book can be used as a general travel guide or as the basis for an in-depth, historical tour. It is so filled with historical and cultural detail (complimented by photos, maps, and site plans) that it can even provide a satisfying armchair "tour" of the region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581572544
Publisher:	Countryman Press, The
Publication date:	04/28/2014
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	1,084,332
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Michael Royea is a Professor of Archeology who has conducted study tours of the Southwest for many years.He has traveled this region for over 30 years.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Using This Guide xi

Part 1 The Tour 1

Day 1 2

1 Acoma, New Mexico 4

Day 2 10

2 El Morro National Monument, New Mexico 12

Inscription Rock Trail

A'ts'ina Ruins

Mesa Loop Trail

3 Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona 22

Puerco Pueblo

Agate House

Nearby: Casamero Pueblo

Bandera Crater and Ice Cave

Zuni Pueblo

Day 3 38

4 Wupatki National Monument, Arizona 40

Wukoki

Wupatki

Citadel and Nalakihu

Box Canyon

Lomaki

Adjacent: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Nearby: Canyon de Chelly

Homolovi Ruins State Park

Day 4 70

5 Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona 72

South Rim

Tusayan Ruins

The Grandview Trail

North Rim

Day 5 86

6 Pipe Springs National Monument, Arizona 89

7 Red Cliffs Archaeological Sit, Utah 91

Day 6 94

8 Zion National Park, Utah 97

Riverside Walk Trail

Weeping Rock

Emerald Pools Trail

Archaeological Trail

Canyon Overlook Trail

Checkerboard Mesa

Nearby: Parawon Gap Petroglyphs

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Day 7 116

9 Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah 119

Navajo Loop Trail

Bristlecone Loop Trail

Nearby: Kodachrome Basin State Park

Day 8 130

10 Anasazi State Park, Utah 132

11 Goblin Valley State Park, Utah 139

Nearby: Capitol Reef National Park

Day 9 154

12 Arches National Park, Utah 156

Balanced Rock

Delicate Arch

Windows Section

Fiery Furnace

Devils Garden

13 Newspaper Rock, Utah 175

Nearby: Sego Canyon Petroglyphs

Canyonlands National Park

Day 10 184

14 Edge of the Cedars State Park, Utah 186

15 Hovenweep National Monument, Utah/Colorado 195

Square Tower

Holly

Horseshoe

Hackberry

Cutthroat

Cajon

Day 11 234

16 Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado 237

Cliff Palace

Ruins Road

Chapin Mesa Museum

Spruce Tree House

Far View Community

Balcony House

Cedar Tree

Wetherill Mesa

Step House

Long House

Badger House Community

Day 12 290

17 Lowry Pueblo, Colorado 292

18 Anasazi Heritage Center, Colorado 296

Dominguez Ruins

Escalante Ruins

19 Aztec Ruins National Monument, New Mexico 300

Nearby: Chimney Rock

Day 13 320

20 Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, New Mexico 322

Una Vida

Pueblo Bonito

Chetro Ketl

Pueblo del Arroyo

Kin Kletso

Casa Rinconada

Hungo Pavi

Nearby: Pueblo Pintado

Salmon Ruins

Day 14 378

21 Coronado State Historic Park, New Mexico 380

Nearby: Jemez State Historic Park - Petroglyph National Monument

Albuquerque

Part 2 Background 394

Timeline for the Ancestral Puebloans 396

History of Native American Occupation in the Southwest 401

Glossary 450

Bibliography 454

Index 458