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Cliff dwelling on the Island Trail/National Park Service
Just 10 minutes east of Flagstaff, Arizona, on a densely forested plateau, the serpentine chasms of Walnut Canyon long ago gave refuge to hundreds of Native Americans. Occupied from approximately 1100 to 1250 CE, the Sinagua people were experts in growing crops and living in an arid environment.
While this national monument might simply be a quick stop for travelers heading to Petrified Forest National Park or Grand Canyon National Park, it deserves a visit unencumbered by a tight timeframe. Six miles of the canyon’s length are protected within the monument’s 3,600 acres.
The area was first protected in 1904 as part of the San Francisco Mountain Reserve. It's not in California, however, and it was managed by the U.S. Forest Service until 1934. Now part of the National Park System, its historic ties with the Forest Service continue through an effective cooperative relationship between the two agencies.
The site takes its modern name from the Arizona walnut, a tree once common in the canyon bottom, but initial proposals for the area in 1915 suggested it be called Cliffs National Monument. The name was changed to Walnut Canyon National Monument to avoid confusion with a nearby railroad siding, mill town, and post office called Cliffs.
Traveler's Choice For: Understanding the Sinagua culture, short hikes, archaeology.
Western National Parks Association produces interpretive materials for Walnut Canyon National Monument.
Walnut Canyon National Monument is located approximately 7.5 miles (12km) east of Flagstaff, Arizona. From Flagstaff, travel east on Interstate 40 towards Albuquerque. Take Exit 204, and head south. The Walnut Canyon visitor center is located at the end of this 3-mile road.
Walnut Canyon National Monument was established on November 30, 1915, to preserve cliff dwellings built about 800 years ago. The park now protects a variety of archaeological and natural resources on nearly 3,600 acres.
Archaeologists have found evidence that people likely used the canyon seasonally for thousands of years prior to the Sinagua people arriving around the year 600.
There are no campgrounds at Walnut Canyon National Monument. However, there are many U.S. Forest Service campgrounds in and around Flagstaff. For more information on these campgrounds, visit the Coconino National Forest website on camping. Many of these campgrounds are seasonal and are not open year-round.
Although this area was established primarily to protect its cultural resources, it has plenty to offer in the natural realm as well. Scientists have identified at least 69 species of mammals in the monument, as well as 28 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 121 species of birds.
Elk, mountain lion, black bear, pronghorn antelope and wild turkey are found in the area, along with golden eagles and prairie falcons. The Mexican spotted owl, peregrine falcon, and northern goshawk, among the rarest raptors in the southwestern United States, are residents of Walnut Canyon.
There are two trails by which you can explore Walnut Canyon National Monument.
The Rim Trail is a 0.7-mile self-guided route along the canyon rim. It's described by the park as "easy and fairly level," and the first part of the route is paved and accessible. It offers two overlooks of the canyon and passes a pit house and pueblo set back from the canyon rim.
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