Agate House
The Native American Puebloan people who called Petrified Forest National Park home used the park's petrified wood for purposes including as building material for houses.
Plan Around Agate House
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Agate House Details
The Native American Puebloan people who called Petrified Forest National Park home used the park's petrified wood to make tools such as knives and scrapers, but also as a building material for houses. Agate House, just north of the south entrance station, demonstrates this latter use. The eight-room pueblo was built and occupied sometime between 1050 and 1300 A.D., near what were then agricultural fields and more petrified wood deposits. The size of the building and time that would have gone into constructing it, indicates that it was most likely a year-round residence for one family, and it may have served as a meeting place for the surrounding community. There are few artifacts to be found there, which suggests that it was not occupied for long. Although Agate House now stands alone atop a small hill in Rainbow Forest, it was likely part of a much larger community. Since it was excavated in the 1930s, hundreds of similar structure sites have been found in the park, many dating to the same period. Though it was built using original materials, the reconstruction is not a completely accurate replicate. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Those who would like to see Agate House can take the 2-mile round trip trail from the Rainbow Forest Museum parking lot.
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Low
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Nearby Parks Around Agate House
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Agate House
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Agate House while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Agate House Trail
This 2-mile roundtrip hike begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area and visits the archeological Agate House structure.
0.7 mi away
Jim Camp Wash
The middle Jim Camp Wash beds are made up of of blue, gray, and purple mudstone, and numerous small gray and white sandstone beds.
0.7 mi away
Long Logs Trail
This 1.6-mile loop trail begins at the Rainbow Forest Museum parking area.
0.7 mi away
Rainbow Forest Museum
Rainbow Forest Museum near the south entrance of the park offers exhibits of petrified wood, fossils and dioramas of prehistoric animals that lived in the park.
0.8 mi away
Giant Logs Trail
This .4-mile loop trail begins behind Rainbow Forest Museum, where there's a trail guide available.
