Walnut Canyon National Monument

03Jun18

Flagstaff, Arizona, is the jumping off point for several scenic wonders.

There is of course, the Grand Canyon, which is one of the crowning jewels in the National Park Service. Just to the north are Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

And of course, Sedona and its colorful scenery are just down the road.

But don’t skip the Walnut Canyon National Monument a few miles to the east of Flagstaff. It’s definitely worth a stop when you are in the area.

The brochures and museum exhibits focus primarily about the Sinagua people who lived in Walnut Canyon prior to 1250. There are cliff dwellings to see and walk through at Walnut Canyon.

However, for my money it’s the views afforded me on the nearly mile-long Island Trail were the highlight of my visit to Walnut Canyon National Monument. The trail does pass by 25 of the cliff dwelling rooms.

But, oh the views of the canyon! They are truly spectacular even with the sheer drops that seem to pop up from time to time on the trail. These were made even more daunting on my trip with a little snow here and there on the trail. I was fortunate however. I traveled to the park in late February, missing a major snowfall a couple of weeks prior that would have closed this section of the park.

You access the Island Trail at the visitor center, having to climb down about 200 feet to the actual trail. That wasn’t so bad, but the climb back in this altitude wasn’t quite as easy.

Walnut Canyon is also home to the Rim Trail, a .7-mile journey that looks down onto the canyon. It also passes by some of the cliff dwelling ruins and isn’t nearly as dangerous as the Island Trail. The trail has two overlooks and also goes by the ruins of a pueblo and pithouse.

If you only have an hour, pass on the Rim Trail and go on the Island Trail. That’s the hike you shouldn’t miss.

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