Honanki

One of the wonders of Sedona is the Honanki cliff dwellings property. It is managed by the United States Forest Service and people can visit when in the Red Rock area. It is believed to have been inhabited by the Sinagua, people who were ancestors of the Hopi, who lived in the area from 1100 to 1300 AD. They led common native lives making tools and crafts, hunting wildlife in the area like deer and rabbit, and tending their crops and plants. There are a couple of different ways to reach the Honanki cave dwellings including route 89A to the Y near Oak Creek Canyon, or following Dry Creek Road. The latter route is sometimes unpassable, so proceed with caution. There is another cave dwelling site at Loy Butte called the Palatki. Many visitors visit both locations during the same trip. There were originally about 60 rooms in the Honanki cave dwellings, all filled with innumerable cave pictographs. Many of them have been destroyed by vandals. Some of the pictographs can still be seen from the viewing area. These dwellings are one of the fascinating aspects of Sedona, an area that is often considered magical and extraordinary by residents and visitors.