Homolovi State Park
Fourteenth-century pueblos, pottery scatters, Little Colorado River ecology, and Hopi interpretation occupy a windswept cultural landscape where leaving objects exactly in place is essential.
Artwork inspired by Fred Kabotie
Homolovi preserves villages established by ancestors of today’s Hopi people along the Little Colorado River in the fourteenth century. Low walls and dense pottery scatters reward close, ground-level looking rather than monumental expectations. The park’s Hopi name and collaborative interpretation emphasize migration, clan history, farming, and continuing relationships to these places.
Homolovi II has the most substantial visible architecture and an accessible route; Homolovi I is more exposed and reached differently. Wind, heat, mud, and road conditions can dominate the open basin. Never stack, collect, relocate, or arrange sherds for photographs: Their exact distribution is archaeological evidence and the objects remain culturally meaningful.
- Primary village
- Homolovi II
- Occupation
- Fourteenth century
- Allow
- 2–3 hours
Quick guide
- Begin at center
- Use Hopi interpretation before entering the…
- Choose Homolovi II
- Start with the clearest architecture and most…
Read the site plan at Homolovi State Park
- Opening question
- Use Hopi interpretation before entering the village landscape.
- Begin at center
- Start with the clearest architecture and most developed route.
- Evidence to test
- Read pottery distribution without touching or rearranging pieces.
- Conditions check
- Assess wind, heat, and unpaved access before adding another site
Good to know
Pottery sherds must remain exactly where they lie—do not collect, stack, flip, wash, or arrange them. Homolovi I access may depend on road and weather conditions, while Homolovi II offers the clearest first visit. Strong wind and summer heat can make the open plateau uncomfortable even on short walks.
Notice these
- Homolovi II pueblo
- Pottery scatters
- Little Colorado grassland