This little-known AZ destination just made the New York Times' top places to go in 2024 list
The New York Times is out with its annual roundup of top travel recommendations and a brand new Arizona national monument has made the list.
Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is No. 6 on the New York Times 2024 Travel Destinations: 52 Places to Go This Year list.
President Joe Biden signed a proclamation establishing the monument on Aug. 8, 2023. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument protects 917,618 acres of land against new mining or drilling claims and preserves the cultural history of the land.
“Considered the ancestral homelands of more than a dozen Indigenous tribes, the monument also preserves more than 3,000 Native cultural and historic sites, reflecting the area’s deep spiritual and sacred significance,” the New York Times list said.
Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni: Biden announced new monument at Red Butte. Here's why it is sacred to tribes
What is the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument?
The monument protects thousands of sites that are precious to tribal nations in the Southwest. This includes the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni and the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
The monument's names were explained in a fact sheet released by the White House. Baaj nwaavjo (BAAHJ – NUH-WAAHV-JOH) means “where Indigenous peoples roam” in the Havasupai language, and i’tah kukveni (EE-TAH – KOOK-VENNY) means “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language.
"This designation, which marks the fifth new national monument established by President Biden, honors Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically and scientifically important features, while conserving our public lands, protecting wildlife habitat and clean water, and supporting local economies," the fact sheet said.
The landscape will also be used for outdoor recreation, including camping, hiking, biking, and other recreational activities.
Where is the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument?
The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument occupies three separate tracts of land:
An area northeast of Grand Canyon National Park in House Rock Valley and adjacent to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
An area northwest of the national park and adjacent to the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument on the Kanab Plateau.
An area south of the park encompassing the town of Tusayan and the Tusayan Ranger District of Kaibab National Forest.
Why the New York Times picked Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni
The list said that although the Grand Canyon National Park is no stranger to travel bucket lists, the recently designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument honors sacred Indigenous land and provides a new reason to visit the southwestern United States.
The list also said people can support the local Native American community by booking a Colorado River adventure with the Hualapai River Runners which is a white-water rafting company led by Hualapai Tribe river guides.
It also suggested looking up at the sky for a chance at spotting a California condor – the largest bird in North America that was once facing extinction – which now has a population of more than 100 due to recent conservation efforts.
What to see at Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument
The USDA Forest Service put together a few places to visit in the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. This includes:
Red Butte, called Wii’i Gdwiisa by the Havasupai, is defined by an eroded rock and basalt cap from ancient lava. Located on the Coconino Plateau south of Grand Canyon National Park between Valle and Tusayan, it is sacred to the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni people and is central to tribal creation stories.
Hull Cabin was built by sheep ranchers in 1889 near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It memorializes the area’s ranching and mining history; it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained for visitors.
Apex Logging Camp has evidence of the timber industry in the 1930s and is the focus of ongoing research at an archaeological field school. The town of Apex provided wood used to build the railroad, timber the mines and construct the resorts along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Between 1928 and 1936 the Apex Logging Camp was a home for lumberjacks and locomotive crews.
The Grand Canyon Airport Historic District includes a decommissioned airport listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It operated in the 1920s bringing visitors and celebrities like Amelia Earhart, Will Rogers, and Charles Lindbergh to the Grand Canyon.
The Grandview Lookout Tower and its associated cabin were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 to assist the Forest Service and the National Park Service in detecting wildfires. It is near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Tusayan Ranger Station where six historic buildings used to manage the Tusayan Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest. Including a house, barn and corral which were constructed between 1939 and 1942 and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why this remote AZ destination is a NYT top place to go in 2024
