The Sun Temple is very easy to get to and quick to see.  It’s about a 100 ft round trip walk from where you park.  While this amazing structure is great to see, you can’t really get any good views of it unless you are standing above it.   You’re allowed to walk around it but not inside of it.  I wish the park service would build an elevated boardwalk or something so you can get a better look but there really isn’t anything like that yet.

During my visit, a few park rangers were doing renovation work on the Sun Temple.  I took some pictures and went around to the back to stand on some rocks to see if I could peer inside.  This provided the best view and I encourage you to do the same.

A kiosk states that this temple was built sometime in the 1200s and it “had a role in celestial observations.”  Not much else is known about the temple and we are left to speculation.  What do you think this was used for? Ceremonies? Social gatherings? Who knows!

Across the canyon you can get a really clear view of Cliff Palace.

Here is a picture of the Sun Temple from above.