Archaeological Hiking: Exploring History

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For those who have an interest in history as well as hiking, a new trend of archaeological hiking trips have become a popular way to combine these two interests into an exciting new pastime. There are a few things that you should keep in mind to make sure that you can get the most enjoyment out of hiking excursions around archaeological areas of the U.S. Here are some tips about how to plan your archaeology hike and choose your hiking gear, as well as suggestions of some popular hiking destinations with archaeological importance.

Archaeological Hiking

As mentioned above, archaeological hiking is a hiking trip that takes you to or through a site with archaeological importance. These hikes generally use the same hiking equipment as would be used on any other hike, though some hikers may choose to use slightly different hiking gear in order to reduce the impact that they have on the sites that they visit or to help them to recreate the feel of travelling through the sites as they would have in the past. Common hiking gear for archaeology hikes includes carved walking sticks, food and water, LED lights, a multi-purpose tool for emergencies and a lightweight tent or sleeping bag. LED Lightsandknives.com lights tend to be preferred over other forms of lighting even though they may reduce the “historical” feel of the hiking trip because they are lightweight, durable, and have reduced energy consumption so that they won’t burn through batteries as quickly as those other light sources.

Since the sites visited on archaeological hikes are important historically, it’s important that you do all that you can to not have a negative impact on them while visiting. Make sure that you don’t take anything from the site or move anything around, even if it seems to be something relatively insignificant like oddly-shaped rocks or fragments of painted materials. Take care not to spill anything, and avoid leaving any litter behind so that the sites will remain as clean and untouched as they were when you arrived. By keeping yourself from making a negative impact on the sites that you visit, the sites will remain important to both archaeologists and other hikers in the future so that they can be enjoyed for years to come.

Range Creek Canyon, Utah

One popular venue for archaeology hikes is the Range Creek Canyon area in Utah. Its popularity is due to the site having a large number of Native American cave paintings and other etchings which remain from the time before Europeans first reached America. These paintings are beautiful and almost otherworldly, giving visitors a glimpse at a time thousands of years in the past. When visiting Range Creek, you can imagine what life might have been like back when there were no roads or industry in America; walking among the cave paintings can help you to envision Native American hunters and gatherers having control of their domain while living in harmony with nature.

Crow Canyon, Arizona

Another Native American destination that is popular for archaeology hikes is Crow Canyon in Arizona. Crow Canyon will let you see what Navajo culture was like, showing off the type of environment that the Navajos not only lived in but actually flourished in. In addition to seeing what Navajo culture was like, you will also be able to get a better idea of how they were able to adapt their lives to the harsh environment in which they lived. Not only can this understanding be relatively awe-inspiring but, if you are a fan of hiking in similar environments, you may get some ideas from the ancient Navajo people of how you can keep yourself safe while traversing those environments which are less than hospitable.

Finding Other Archaeological Hiking Destinations

There are a number of other destinations where you can take your hiking equipment in order to enjoy an enriching archaeology hike. In order to decide where you want to go on your hike, begin by looking at American history and seeing which groups you might be interested in learning more about. There are a number of archaeological sites that you can visit in Oregon and the Northwest, visiting both areas in which Native Americans lived as well as those locations in which American explorers such as Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean or other parts of the country. The country is alive with history, and with a little bit of study you can find the perfect hiking locations to let you explore it.

~ Ben Anton, 2008

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