Walnut Canyon National Monument Reviews (Flagstaff, Arizona)

A must see

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

August 26, 2010

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These indian dwellings are really amazing. There are a ton of steps that you need to walk down (and back up) in order to see them, but it is worth it! My kids ages 7 and 11 had no trouble with the hike.

Cliff Dwellings Up Close

by Moira126

Mays Landing, New Jersey

April 15, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo The Walnut Canyon National Monument is named after the Arizona walnut tree which used to be predominantly common in the bottom of the canyon. About 7.5 miles southeast of Flagstaff, this monument contains well preserved evidence of how the Sinagua ...Read more The Walnut Canyon National Monument is named after the Arizona walnut tree which used to be predominantly common in the bottom of the canyon. About 7.5 miles southeast of Flagstaff, this monument contains well preserved evidence of how the Sinagua lived more than 700 years ago. After seeing Montezuma Castle and viewing the cliff dwelling from afar, this visit gave us the chance to be up close with the dwellings built within the canyon walls and imagine the day-to-day activities of its inhabitants.

Walnut Canyon was formed those thousands of years ago from Walnut Creek flowing and carving its way through the limestone and forming gorges and ridges and ledges on its walls which became a natural shelter from the elements. It became an ideal spot for the ancient peoples to create their cliff houses by taking advantage of the natural limestone roof and just constructing walls. This was an ideal place for a settlement for the Sinagua because there was proximity to a water source and great farming land at the canyon’s rim. This community prospered for more than 200 years and then, just like in Montezuma Castle, the Sinagua left for unknown reasons.

Each visit should start at the visitor center, which sits atop a cliff and offers panoramic views of the canyon. There is also a mini museum in the center offering explanations of geology and history of the canyon. The visitor center and the views are, in themselves, almost worth the visit. After the trip to the visitor center, it’s time to hit the trails. The trails close one hour before the visitor center, so remember that when planning a visit. This allows for enough time to go through the trail before the site closes. There are two trails to choose from – the easy Rim Trail and the famous Island Trail.

The Rim Trail is a leisurely 0.7 mile round trip tour of the canyon rim. It’s partly accessible and offers great views of the canyon. There are two overlooks and even a small ruin along the way.

The Island Trail, which starts at the visitor center, is the most spectacular, but also the most strenuous. Its only about 1 mile round trip, but it starts with going down 185 feet through a series of 240 steps and ends with climbing those same steps. The descent requires no effort at all, but the climb back up? That’s another story. And the 7000 feet elevation location of the site does not help. Let’s just say that I was grateful they broke down the 240 steps in various groups of about 10 to 20 steps with an occasional outlook or bench so I could stop and pretend to let the view sink in when I was actually catching my breath :)

Walnut Canyon is open 9am to 5pm from November to April and 8am to 5pm from May to October. And the entrance fee is $7 per person, good for 7 days. Kids 16 years old and below could get in for free. Also, the annual America the Beautiful Interagency Pass could be applied here so you do not have to worry about fees.
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Walnut Canyon National Monument

by MilwVon

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

December 28, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo Perhaps the most fascinating of all of the National Park Service locations that depict the lives of the people native to Arizona, Walnut Canyon National Monument should not be missed! Located within 15 minutes of downtown Flagstaff, it is worth a ...Read more Perhaps the most fascinating of all of the National Park Service locations that depict the lives of the people native to Arizona, Walnut Canyon National Monument should not be missed! Located within 15 minutes of downtown Flagstaff, it is worth a morning or afternoon of exploration.

The Walnut Canyon rise high above the Walnut Creek, and is very steep. The sheer rock walls appear to be hardly inhabitable even today. The Sinagua are the people who were known to live in this area, arriving sometime around 600 AD. It is believed that after the 1064/5 eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano, the Sinagua began building cliff dwellings in the canyon walls here at Walnut Creek. “Sinagua” means “without water” which is largely how these people had to live. While they had a small creek below their cliff homes, this area was essentially without water to grow crops creating hardships for those who lived here. Water conservation was essential to assure their ability to grow corn and other crops.

It is believed that the Sinagua lived here for approximately 100 years, moving around 1250 to new villages, later assimilated into the Hopi culture. Today, visitors can take the walking tour of these beautiful cliff dwellings. Some are in fairly decent shape considering the years of scavengers who sought artifacts and souvenirs around the turn of the 20th century. The area has been protected by the National Park Service since 1915 when it was declared a National Monument.

If you make the trip to Walnut Canyon, you must be prepared for a rather steep walk. The entire trail around the 25 cliff dwelling rooms is just about a mile. Your return to the canyon rim will require walking up 240 stairs. The path is fully paved and has benches along the way for those who need to stop for a break or to simply breathe. As an asthmatic, I have to be careful with extreme climbing and was a bit skeptical about my ability to do this hike. After it was done, I was very glad that I did it! I would have hated to have missed this wonderful opportunity to see first hand, up close, how these cliff dwellers lived hundreds of years ago.

As you walk around the loop around these “rooms” be sure to pay particular attention to the opposite wall on the other side of the canyon. Across the way you will also see pueblos and more cave like dwellings where more Sinagua lived. They seem even more inaccessible over there, probably because of the thick forest and plant life.

There is a $5 per person fee to enter this US National Park Service site. Close

From journal National Monuments of the NPS - Arizona (NPS #5)

Walnut Canyon and Sinagua Ruins

by JOHNTAY2004

BENLD, Illinois

July 20, 2004

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This National Park Monument is close to Flagstaff. The Rim Trail was closed for part of the way for scheduled maintenance. The walk was fairly easy and quite educational for our ten-year-old daughter.

From journal Week in Flagstaff, Arizona

Walnut Canyon Cliff Dwellings

by btwood2

Rodeo, New Mexico

March 30, 2004

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Best of IgoUgo It’s hard to imagine that it’s already been almost 12 years since we last visited Walnut Canyon Cliff Dwellings. As I go through my old photo albums pulling out pictures for Bob (my husband) to scan, I think, “We really ought to go there again”. The ...Read more It’s hard to imagine that it’s already been almost 12 years since we last visited Walnut Canyon Cliff Dwellings. As I go through my old photo albums pulling out pictures for Bob (my husband) to scan, I think, “We really ought to go there again”. The trouble is that we like to do things at a decidedly leisurely pace, and there are sights as yet unseen by us in the Flagstaff region. Oh, well.

One is immediately drawn to the past in Walnut Canyon, named for the black walnut trees that grow here. It’s a sacred ancestral place for the Hopi, some of whose clans can directly trace their lineage back to the people who lived here. These “people of long ago”, Hisatsinom, lived here between 1125 and 1250. They built shelters tucked into the cliffs and on the canyon rims. The limestone blocks were laid in rows and held together by clay and mud, then smoothed over with plaster. The people were traders, hunters and farmers, planting fields of corn, beans, and squash mostly on the canyon rims. They built small dams, terraces and irrigation systems so their crops would thrive. Eventually, as with the pueblo dwellings at Wupatki, these too were abandoned for unknown reasons in the mid 1200s. They apparently remained undisturbed and quiet for the next 600 years

With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, the dwellings were discovered and pot hunters scavenged Walnut Canyon, stealing artifacts and even dynamiting some of the dwellings in their search for more relics. It was not until 1934 that this historical treasure was placed under the protection of the National Park Service.

We walked the mile long Island Trail, a bit of a climb (185 feet) getting back up – something to keep in mind at 7000 feet elevation if you have any heart or lung problems. The trail is self-guiding and leads to 25 cliff dwelling rooms on one of three rock “islands” in the area. It’s an amazing feeling going into a room and trying to imagine yourself backwards in time as someone who used these dwellings for shelter. We visited on a weekday and there were very few others present. The breeze was the only sound save a few birds. The .75-mile Rim Trail is more level. Go to the Visitor Center from which the trails begin to get more information. Sometimes there are ranger-led hikes and tours. There is also a picnic area in front of the Visitor Center.

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From journal Stay Cool in Flag

Walnut Canyon and Sinagua Ruins

by rumbamel

Springfield, Illinois

February 3, 2003

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This was wonderful. It took us about 2 hours, but we didn't take both trails. We just walked down into the canyon and looked at the ruins. It was absolutely amazing, for only $3 per person. I'm not good with going up stairs, but it's okay if you ...Read more

From journal Fairfield Flagstaff in January 2003

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