Review of Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona: An amazing place full of geologic formations and ancient inhabitants’ dwellings!

 

Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona

On the morning of January 30th 2023, my wife and I had checked out of our fantastic hotel room at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, slowly but surely making our way back home to North Carolina after over 2 months of traveling across the American Southwest and West.  Our first stop on our way back to the east coast was Flagstaff (Arizona), about 330 miles from Las Vegas.

We knew we had a long way to go before getting back to North Carolina, so we planned it so we would make it back at a rather leisurely pace.  Because of our early retirement (since 2020), we had all the time in the world, which worked to our advantage.

We could decide to spend a night, or two on our way back, depending on what attractions are available at that particular location.  It was an easy decision to select Flagstaff, as it lies right along the I-40 corridor, which is the way we would be going back home, and it boasts several world class natural attractions within a 30 mile radius of the city.

The drive out of Sin City proved unremarkable, but once we got on the Veterans Memorial Highway, drive got very interesting.  We passed open roads full of distant vistas, with the then very familiar Southwestern landscape, of colorful rocks, sparse vegetation, and panoramic views for miles.

The weather had turned gloomy the further we drove, and by the second hour of our drive, a mix of snow and sleet started coming down.  We got slightly worried at the thought of driving through a snowstorm, but luckily, it stopped just as fast as it started.

For those of you that know, driving on deserted roads, especially on the American Southwest can be daunting.  The last thing you want is to be stuck on the road, without any civilization nearby to lend a hand for miles: no gas stations, no restaurants, and very light traffic…

We made good time continuing our drive east, as we hit the familiar I-40.  One thing that stuck out at us was how many bad potholes there were on I-40.  We weaved in and out of the lane, feeling like Muhammad Ali to float like a butterfly, trying to miss those tire, rim, and suspension-devouring monster potholes.

Weather was foreboding but it held.  We didn’t get snow or sleet until we arrived at Flagstaff.  We chose to stay for 2 nights at Sleep Inn Flagstaff, wanting to visit the popular Walnut Canyon National Monument, which is about 10 miles outside downtown Flagstaff.  

We checked in, then went upstairs to the second floor.  We opened the room and saw it was just about 30% the size of our previous hotel, Aria.  If there’s one thing we do well these days is that we go with the flow.  We try to adapt as quickly as we can.  

Sure, Aria’s room was awesome, capacious, and beautiful.  But, we also appreciate the simplicity and no-frills nature of Sleep Inn, which happens to provide free hot breakfast, which Aria doesn’t offer!  There’s one positive thing about Sleep Inn vs Aria!  

Life is all about balance: Live like a king some days, but also enjoy and embrace living a normal life the rest of the time!  It’s kind of like when the weekend always is a big deal while you’re working.  It’s literally something you look forward to while you’re working.

We settled in for the evening and got a good night’s rest so we can experience new stimuli the next morning!

We headed out of our hotel in downtown Flagstaff for Walnut Canyon National Monument, about a 11 mile drive.  The day was cloudy, cold, and it had snowed overnight, covering the parts of the road with the beautiful white stuff.

Traffic was light on I-40 thanks to it being a Tuesday morning, and we arrived in under 20 minutes.  We drove into the national monument, noticing a coating of snow on trees, roads, and in the parking lot.  

We parked our car, made our way inside the visitor center to ask which trails are opened or closed.  We wanted to try our hands at the popular Island Trail and the Rim Trail, but unfortunately, Island Trail was closed for the day due to hazardous conditions along the trail.

After thanking them, we headed right after coming out of the visitor center for the Rim Trail.  The trail was lightly covered with snow, and it was slippery at times, so we took our time walking, very gingerly.

Start of Rim Trail, Walnut Canyon National Monument 

It didn’t take long for us to see the snow covered canyons below, with mountains in the distance.  Sitting high up on the ridge, scenery was beautiful and it felt like a proper winter day, with cold but refreshing alpine air!

We walked the short .7 mile Rim Trail to its end, where it stopped at an observation deck.  We could see raptors in the skies above hovering in the air, and when the winds calmed down, the place was eerily quiet.  It felt like we were the only ones alive in the world…

End of the Rim Trail

After taking in the sights, sounds, and the smells, we took the same path back, then turned right when we got near the visitor center.  There was a sign for the Pueblo and Pithouse Ruins near the picnic area, so we headed that way.

Heading to Pueblo and Pithouse site

The word “Pueblo” refers to both the indigenous peoples who inhabited the area as well as the homes they lived in.  Pueblos (the homes) were made out of adobe (clay and straw baked into hard bricks) and stone.  

We hit the first of the pueblos after few hundred steps.  It was fascinating how ancient peoples lived, and we can just about imagine what their life may have been…

It would’ve been better if we could see the cliff dwellings along the Island Trail, but that wasn’t meant to be…We’ll do that on our next trip out there, soon we hope.

After experiencing the homes and the pit houses, we made our way back towards the visitor center and the parking lot.  Thanks to the weather, it was still very quiet by the time we made it back there.  We were glad we stopped by.  Every one of the national monuments we’ve visited, did not disappoint.  There’s always something to learn, to see, and to experience…

In conclusion:

Despite the Island Trail being inaccessible during our trip, we still had a good time seeing and experiencing a new place full of history, culture, and scenery.  Of course we wished for the sun to be out that day, and of course we wished we’d hit the lottery, but oh well, you can’t have everything…

We highly recommend everyone to visit Walnut Canyon National Monument whenever you’re visiting Flagstaff area.  It’s a short drive from the downtown area and within 30 miles, there are awesome attractions to experience.

Happy trails and thank you for reading!

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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