Maine or Bust 2022: Footprints in the Dust

Arizona’s Homolovi State Park may not draw crowds, but we felt it was worth a stop as we ventured off Interstate 40 to check it out. Not far east of Flagstaff, the remains of a once thriving 14th century community are scattered about the land along a section of the Little Colorado River.

It is illegal to remove any artifacts from the park. The Hopi people of today consider Homolovi their homeland and believe stones and broken pottery pieces are part of the land. As you can see, many pieces of pottery remain. Eagle-eyed visitors place found items on rocks along pathways for all to enjoy.

Centuries later, in 1876, a group of Mormon pioneers arrived in the area hoping to establish a new settlement. Not much remains of their brief time along the Little Colorado River. A short path took us out to Sunset Cemetery where a few headstones stand as a reminder of the harsh life the desert offers.