4 Best Sights in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe, Arizona

This site, whose original purpose still eludes archaeologists, was unknown to European explorers until Father Kino, a Jesuit missionary, first recorded the site's existence in 1694. The area was set aside as federal land in 1892 and named a national monument in 1918. Although only a few prehistoric sites can be viewed, more than 60 are in the monument area, including the 35-foot-tall—that's four stories—Casa Grande (Big House). The tallest known Hohokam building, Casa Grande was built in the early 14th century and is believed by some to have been an ancient astronomical observatory or a center of government, religion, trade, or education. Allow an hour to explore the site, longer if park rangers are giving a talk or leading a tour. On your way out, cross the parking lot by the covered picnic grounds and climb the platform for a view of a ball court and two platform mounds, said to date from the 1100s.

Any visit to Arizona requires a viewing of petroglyphs, and this site provides the best glimpse in the metro Phoenix area. Some 1,500 of the cryptic symbols are here, left behind by Native American cultures that lived in or passed through the Valley during the last 1,000 years. The self-guided tour follows a ¼-mile path and includes a free audio guide. Telescopes point to some of the most skillful petroglyphs, ranging from animal forms to abstract figures.

Phoenix's only national landmark, this park was once the site of a 500-acre Hohokam village supporting about 1,000 people and containing homes, storage rooms, cemeteries, and ball courts. Three exhibition galleries hold displays on the Hohokam culture and archaeological methods. View the 10-minute orientation video before heading out on the ½-mile Ruin Trail past excavated sites that give a hint of Hohokam savvy: there's a building whose corner doorway was perfectly placed for watching the summer-solstice sunrise. Children especially like the hands-on interactive learning center. Guided tours by appointment only.

You can visit a well-preserved complex of 13th-century Salado cliff dwellings at this site, which was nearly destroyed during a wildfire in 2019. A team of archaeologists and firefighters saved the site's two dwellings, but 88 percent of the Monument's almost 1,000 acres burned. You can visit the Lower Cliff Dwelling on your own, but must sign up for a ranger-led tour to see the Upper Cliff Dwelling. Tours are offered from Friday to Monday, from November to April.