Traveling on Interstate 40 in Northern Arizona offers many fascinating stops where you can take a deep dive into the cultural and geological history of the region.
Early Civilizations
Learn about the ancestral peoples of the Southwest, from Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings to ancient petroglyphs and prehistoric settlements.
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Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument: Reading the Ancient Stories
Newspaper Rock is a name applied to more than one piece of stone covered with petroglyphs in the Southwest, but the one found in southern Utah 50 miles south of Moab is absolutely stunning.
Stories in Stone: A Short Sand Island Petroglyphs Getaway
The Sand Island Petroglyphs, situated just outside Bluff, Utah, offer a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, 5,000 Years of History
Your tour Jeep sits at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, Arizona — on the western edge of the Four Corners. Spreading before you, like a theatre curtain opening on a magical set, are imposing red rock formations, lofty cottonwoods and willows, and quilted fields of crops, orchards, and pastures.
Aztec Ruins National Monument, Unearthing the Ancient Stories
The folks at Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington, New Mexico, would be the first to tell you that Chaco Canyon was not the only place Ancestral Puebloans developed large pueblos.
Navajo National Monument: Hiking, Camping & Ancient History
In 1909, President William Taft established Navajo National Monument to protect the three Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling sites found there.








