> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hiking-ohio.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Stop #7B Walnut Canyon - URL: https://hiking-ohio.com/stop-7b-walnut-canyon/ - Published: 2026-09-28T17:58:14.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-28T17:58:14.000Z - Description: Recognizing the importance of preserving these resources, President Woodrow Wilson established Walnut Canyon as a national monument on November 30, 1915, protecting its archaeological sites for future generations. - Author: Lori Jordan - Tags: island trail, stairs, ccc, ccccivilian conservation corps, national park service, nps, sinagua, cliff dwellings, lizard, lizarddirt road, mount eldon ccc camp, flagstaff, great depression, new deal, local stone, buffalo soldiers national monument, woodrow wilson, pothunters, puebloan, limestone, limestoneindigenous ## Walnut Canyon Walnut Canyon National Monument is in northern Arizona, about 10 miles east of Flagstaff. - **Address:** 3 Walnut Canyon Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 - **Nearest city:** Flagstaff - **From Flagstaff:** roughly a 15–20 minute drive east - **From Grand Canyon South Rim:** roughly 1½ hours by car - **Location:** Coconino County, Arizona, within the Colorado Plateau It is known for its Sinagua cliff dwellings, canyon trails, and the historic CCC-built visitor infrastructure. The canyon has been occupied by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Sinagua, an ancestral Puebloan community, are particularly associated with the cliff dwellings found along the canyon walls. Many of the best-known dwellings were built between approximately 1100 and 1250 CE in limestone alcoves. Around 1250 CE, the Sinagua gradually moved to other settlements in the region. Unfortunately, some of the archaeological sites were looted and damaged by pothunters in the late 1800s. Recognizing the importance of preserving these resources, President Woodrow Wilson established Walnut Canyon as a national monument on November 30, 1915, protecting its archaeological sites for future generations. Later, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed and improved portions of the trail system, including the stone stairway leading down to the Island Trail. Walnut Canyon had been a national monument since 1915, and the National Park Service (NPS) took over administration in 1934\. --- ## Hiking the Island Trail The Island Trail is the main hike for visitors who want to walk alongside the cliff dwellings. The loop is approximately 0.9–1 mile round trip. Although the trail is paved, it is steep, dropping about 185 feet into the canyon. ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612031170-i6.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612024375-i13.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612030972-ic4.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612036804-ic10.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612022277-island trail 1.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612035262-island trail 2.JPG) --- ### Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) CCC workers also helped with trail construction, stabilization of archaeological sites/walls, and buildings, including the original visitor center. he CCC and NPS emphasized making improvements blend into the natural landscape. Stone was quarried locally and native materials were used, rather than creating structures that looked out of place. CCC workers from the Mount Elden CCC Camp in Flagstaff worked at Walnut Canyon. The camp had about 200 men who worked at Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and Wupatki. The work was primarily in the late 1930s, during the New Deal era. The CCC was created in 1933 during the Great Depression. Young men were given employment, housing, food, education, and job training while working on conservation and public infrastructure. Nationally, CCC crews built trails, roads, buildings, fire infrastructure, and other improvements on public lands. ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790612723747-ccc1.JPG) The current Island Trail descends roughly 185 feet into Walnut Canyon and has hundreds of stairs. NPS pages currently give somewhat different counts depending on how the trail is described—one page says 273 stairs, while the main park page describes 240 stairs—but they agree that the trail involves a substantial stair descent and climb. The important historical point is that the stairs weren't built by the ancient Sinagua people. They are a modern visitor-access feature constructed as part of the National Park Service's development of the monument, with the CCC playing a major role in their construction. The ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings themselves are much older, dating about 900 years. The biggest challenge is the climb back up the stairs, particularly at the canyon's elevation of roughly 7,000 feet. It was a little tough so we took our time climbing up. Along the loop, visitors can see approximately 25 cliff-dwelling rooms built into the canyon walls. ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790614055465-ic2.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790616820071-dwell1.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790616820059-dwell2.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790616820282-dwell3.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790616821256-dwell4.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790615759281-l3.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790615762212-l1.JPG) ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790615761371-l2.JPG) The only animal we saw on the trail was this lizard...so cute. --- ### Dirt roads The NPS specifically warns that GPS systems sometimes send visitors down Forest Road 303, an unmaintained dirt road that can require a high-clearance vehicle. Use the signed paved approach instead. We took several dirt roads after Walnut Canyon. The Xterra had no issues with the roads, so we were definitely glad we took it instead of our Accord. There was really nothing major to see. We saw dirt, cacti, prickly vegetation, and an occasional flower. However, it was definitely peaceful with no other traffic or tourists. --- ### Conclusion Eventually the dwellings were abandoned. The people did not disappear but their living arrangements evolved. ![](https://cdn.hiking-ohio.com/blog-hiking/2026/09/1790613481595-conclusion.JPG) We really did not know anything about Walnut Canyon before our travel. Obviously we knew about the Grand Canyon. Walnut Canyon was a nice additional stop on our trip and definitely worth it.