The window has opened on a lottery for a trek into the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument in Arizona/NPS file

A rare window has opened if you'd like to explore the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument in Arizona on an overnight backpack trek with a ranger.

The park is offering three overnight backcountry hikes this April to the Pueblo site known as Crack in The Rock. All hikes are Saturday to Sunday and the hike dates for April are the 8-9, 15-16, and 22-23.

This year’s hike lottery will be conducted using a new system on Recreation.gov. Applicants can apply via this link. The lottery application period closes on March 14 and applicants will be notified of their placement in hikes on March 17.

Participants on this hike experience the vast wilderness of Wupatki while backcountry camping, learning about geology, natural history, seeing amazing dark skies, and visiting several different archeological sites along the way. Hikers observe pueblo architecture, artifacts, and petroglyphs in an area that is not open to the public. Hikes are led by park rangers and subject matter experts.

The roundtrip hike to Crack in The Rock Pueblo is a two-day, strenuous backpacking trip in an isolated area of Wupatki National Monument. One night will be spent camping in the wilderness and hikers must bring all necessary food and equipment.

The hike is a rugged crosscountry trek/NPS file

The hike is approximately 18-20 miles round-trip over rough desert terrain at an elevation of approximately 4,500-4,900 feet. The route is cross-country; there is no designated trail. Hiking surfaces are uneven and vary from loose cinder to sandstone and limestone outcrops and talus slopes. Although overall elevation gain or loss is minimal, portions of the route include hiking in and out of washes and hilly areas. Please note that this is a rigorous hike over difficult terrain. There is minimal shade along the way. The vegetation, although sparse in many locations, can be thorny and sharp.

Weather can be extremely variable at Wupatki during the months of April and October. Temperatures can range from lows in the 20s-60s to highs in the 30s-90s, with average lows in the 40s, and highs in the 70s. While temperatures are inconsistent from one day to the next, a 30-degree difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures is generally the rule. Expect windy conditions which can often make balancing a heavy pack difficult. Snow and/or rain can occur in both April and October at Wupatki.

This is high desert country so no water is available at the campsite or along the way. Each hiker must carry a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day. Therefore, an empty pack will weigh a minimum of 16 pounds (8 pounds per gallon), plus the weight of the pack. After figuring in food, stove, tent, sleeping pad, and other needed equipment, a full pack can easily weigh 30 or 40 pounds or more. All hike participants must have the physical ability to hike in extreme temperatures over difficult terrain, and be able to carry their full pack for the complete duration of 16 miles.

The cost of this ranger guided activity is $75 per person (payable when selected to participate). Group size is limited to 15 people, including staff.