Castles of the Ash - Inside the Ancient Volcanic Pueblos of Arizona

In 1085 AD, a volcano erupted in northern Arizona and changed everything. We walk the lava fields of Sunset Crater Volcano and explore the ancient pueblos that rose from the ash — Wupatki, Wukoki, the Citadel, Elden Pueblo, and more. A thousand years of history scattered across the high desert, and most people drive right past it. Wukoki Pueblo rises like a tower from the sandstone — three stories of ancient masonry still standing after a millennium. Wupatki spreads across the red rock landscape, one of the largest pueblos in the region. The Citadel sits high on a volcanic hill overlooking a vast ancient floodplain. And Elden Pueblo sits on the edge of Flagstaff, hiding in plain sight just off the highway. These sites are part of Wupatki National Monument and Coconino National Forest, located just north of Flagstaff, Arizona near the San Francisco Peaks. They were built by the Sinagua people and their neighbors — the Hohokam, the Cohonino, and ancestral Puebloans — who were drawn north into the region in the years following the eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano. This is the story of the people who fled, came back, and built something that outlasted them all. Join us as we explore ancient history and discover the ruins of a lost civilization in this desert landscape. This archeology expedition takes us to some truly unreal places. 🎥 Subscribe to NomadType for cinematic travel adventures, nomadic living, photography, and stories from the open road.