Awatovi

Awatovi ruins is designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. Access to the site is currently not open to the public according to the National Park Service website which states:

"Overall, the site is in good condition but there are still some ongoing problems that need to be addressed, such as: Ongoing erosion of exposed walls. If left unchecked, these architectural features will eventually collapse; the site is occasionally visited without permission by tourists and, as a result, surface artifacts are being lost."

By people taking away artifacts, the historic heritage of the site is further damaged and potentially valuable information is lost forever. It is important to remember to respect all restrictions placed on access to the site as there is a reason some sites are prohibited from being visited by tourist and visitors. In this case the safety of the site as well as the cultural ties to the Hopi and Navajo require that the site remains accessible only be approved individuals.