RSS
Home
Walnut Canyon National Monument--where cliff dwellings dot canyon walls
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Photo Credit: USGS
If you're taking a summer vacation to Grand Canyon National Park this year, plan to stop and visit Walnut Canyon National Monument. It's only 8 miles east of Flagstaff and a quick 3 miles off Interstate 40. You won't find an easier and more enjoyable way to see extremely well-preserved cliff dwellings. You can spend a couple of hours or a leisurely half-day. Either way, Walnut Canyon is a beautiful and popular side trip as you head to the Grand Canyon.
Description
Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona, safeguards 25 cliff dwelling rooms whose inhabitants, the Sinagua people, lived more than 700 years ago. The monument also provides a protected environment for a diverse group of plants and animals.
Established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson, this monument was originally protected by the National Forest Service. Today it covers approximately 3600 acres of fragile archeological and natural resources overseen by the National Park Service (NPS). Walnut Canyon is 20 miles long, 400 feet deep and a quarter mile wide. Only six miles of that length are within the monument boundaries.
Visitor Center
The visitor center at Walnut Canyon houses an information desk run by park personnel, a museum room with exhibits filled with artifacts and interesting displays, plus a small bookstore. What the bookstore lacks in space, it makes up for in the quality of its offerings of well-chosen books and maps. Visitors may also view a film about the history of the monument and its former inhabitants. A glass-walled viewing area, with its stunning panorama of the canyon and the San Francisco Peaks in the distance, completes the facility.
Things to See & Do
Walnut Canyon National Monument offers an exceptional opportunity to see up close the remains of the dwellings of its former inhabitants. Two trails take visitors on a walk through the past. The Rim Trail is easy, with little change in elevation. The first section of this seven-tenths mile round-trip is paved and accessible. Visitors have an excellent view of the canyon and pass a pit house and a pueblo. The Island Trail is only a mile round-trip, but can be strenuous for some, because hikers descend 185 feet into the canyon and must climb the 240 steps back up. This trail offers spectacular views of the canyon walls and the cliff dwellings.
Camping, Lodging & Dining
There is no camping or lodging in the park, but Flagstaff has a wide range of accommodations. Coconino National Forest which surrounds Flagstaff and the monument offers a large number camp grounds set in its beautiful pine forests.
Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the surroundings at the picnic area near the visitor center. The monument doesn't provide any dining facilities. Of course, Flagstaff with lots of restaurants and fast food options is only minutes away.
Operating Hours, Seasons & Fees
The monument is open year round, except for Christmas Day. However, in the winter you should check on expected weather conditions or recent snowfall when the road and trails may not be accessible. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. November through April and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. May through October. The monument, as well as most of Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time all year. Fees are a moderate $5 per person for a seven-day pass. National Park Passes may be used for entrance to the monument. Safety and Cautions: Walnut Canyon National Monument is a very fragile environment. As a result the National Park Service enforces very strict federal law to protect it. Visitors must stay trails and walkways. Plants, animals and archeological artifacts may not be disturbed or removed.
The high elevation may cause problems for some visitors attempting to hike into the canyon. Be aware of your physical limitations. Make sure you carry plenty of water at all times.
There are restrictions that apply to oversized vehicles, so be sure to find out about where larger recreational vehicles can be parked.
Nearby NPS Attractions
Walnut Canyon National Monument is part of Flagstaff National Monuments, along with Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument.
In addition, there are also five other National Park Service areas within 160 miles:
- Grand Canyon National Park (120 miles)
- Montezuma Castle National Monument (70 miles)
- Tuzigoot National Monument (57 miles)
- Petrified Forest National Park (90 miles)
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (160 miles)
Location & Contact
The monument is located eight miles east of Flagstaff off Interstate 40. Take the Walnut Canyon Exit, three miles to the visitor center.
Visitor Center Telephone: (928) 527-0246
You might also enjoy:
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument--awesome volcanic landscape
Wupatki National Monument--preserving pueblos and the past
Related Articles:
Comments
