Amphitheater Ruin & Long Canyon Caves
There are at least ten Sinagua cliff dwellings in the upper end of Long Canyon. Three of these are known locally as the Amphitheater (1 ruin) and the Long Canyon Caves (2 ruins). All of these are fairly close together and can be included in a single hike.
FINDING THE SOCIAL TRAIL
There is more than one way to access the Amphitheater and the Long Canyon Caves. Be advised that I've only hiked into this area once, and we only visited one of the ruins. My memory of that hike is a bit foggy because I was with a group of very competent hikers, so I wasn't leading the way and I wasn't paying that much attention at the end.
We took the ledge route that day, going from the Ice Cream Cone ruins along an existing social trail that is shown on the map below. We encountered one more ruin as we hiked to the west. I believe the photo above shows the Amphitheater, but I may be mistaken. I've also seen some of these ruins from across the canyon at Ladder Village.
Therefore the GPS locations and routes provided may not be precise. They are based on descriptions that have been provided by others, and by studying satellite images. Let the conditions you find on the ground rule. There are numerous social trails that are visible on the satellite images, but they cross large sections of open slickrock where they can't be seen.
As an added bonus there is supposed to be a small pictograph (known as the Strawberry due to its bright red color) somewhere in this area, but I haven't seen it. I suspect it is in one of the two caves, which I believe we simply missed the day I went there.
HIKE DETAILS
RATED: Difficult due to steep uphill climbs, thick brush, route finding, and a climb up some Moki steps that have been cut into the rock. There are multiple existing social trails. Finding the existing trails is essential in order to avoid the thick brush.
TRAIL TYPE
Social Trail
TOTAL DISTANCE
From the parking lot this is area is approximately 6 miles out and back.
0.53 miles from the system trail.
ELEVATION GAIN
450 ft
EST. HIKING TIME
3-4 hours round trip from the nearest parking area.
BEST TIME TO GO
Sep - May.
Hike early in the day to avoid summer heat.
PET FRIENDLY
No. Please do not visit ruins with your pet.
Social Trail
TOTAL DISTANCE
From the parking lot this is area is approximately 6 miles out and back.
0.53 miles from the system trail.
ELEVATION GAIN
450 ft
EST. HIKING TIME
3-4 hours round trip from the nearest parking area.
BEST TIME TO GO
Sep - May.
Hike early in the day to avoid summer heat.
PET FRIENDLY
No. Please do not visit ruins with your pet.