Canyon landscape featuring ancient cliff dwellings accessible via scenic hiking trails and interpretive exhibits.
General Information
Island Trail closes at 4:00 PM
Rim Trail closes at 4:30 PM
Closed: December 24, December 25, and January 1
Children under 16: Free
America the Beautiful and other federal passes accepted
Permitted in parking areas only and must be leashed (max 6 ft)
How to Get There
From Flagstaff, AZ (10 mi): Take I-40 E to Exit 204, then follow Walnut Canyon Rd south for 3 miles to the monument entrance.
Overview
Walnut Canyon National Monument is a forested canyon about 10 miles southeast of Flagstaff, just off Interstate 40, where you can walk right up to ancient cliff dwellings. A 0.9-mile loop trail descends 185 feet into the canyon past 25 cliff dwelling rooms built by the Sinagua people, who lived here from about 1100 to 1250 AD. The canyon holds more than 80 cliff dwellings in total, but most are not accessible.
The Sinagua (Spanish for “without water”) built their small homes under limestone ledges, taking advantage of alcoves eroded by water, and were expert at conserving water and dealing with drought. They left mysteriously around 1250. The monument was proclaimed in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson and transferred to the National Park Service in 1933.
The canyon’s 387 plant species range from ponderosa pine and fir on the shaded north walls to agave and cactus on the sunny south slopes, and the walnut trees that give the canyon its name grow on the floor. The Sinagua also lived at nearby Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Walnut Canyon National Monument", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
