Nov 10

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! We happened upon the Walnut Canyon National Monument by chance since we were staying in Flagstaff, and as luck would have it, it’s actually free if you have an annual interagency pass! :]

Check out the #WalnutCanyon #NationalMonument while you’re in #Flagstaff! #VisitAZ

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Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National MonumentIsland and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger

Island Trail

Distance: 1 mile (loop)
Elevation: 249 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: <1 hour
Address: Walnut Canyon National Monument, 3 Walnut Canyon Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Parking: Located at the visitor center

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger

This is a short trail that brings you 185 feet down into Walnut Canyon so you can take a look at 25 cliff dwelling rooms of the Sinagua people (last thought to have inhabited this area ~7 centuries ago).

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger

There are some parts of the trail that may be closed for maintenance, but stairs/rails are in place for most of the way (the stairs on the way back up on a summer afternoon may be a little rough, but they’re definitely doable!).

Please stay only on the established trails and don’t climb into, lean on, or take anything from the cliff dwellings!

Rim Trail

Distance: 0.8 miles (loop)
Elevation: 32 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: <30 minutes
Parking: Located at the visitor center

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger The Rim Trail is a short, flat and easy stroll up in a high desert region and brings you through a juniper + pinon pine forest, and pretty views of the canyon and cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon.

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger

The first part of the trail is paved and wheelchair-accessible! As you finish the loop, there’s also a partially rebuilt pithouse and a pueblo that you can take a closer look at!

Island and Rim Trail in Walnut Canyon National Monument | @fairyburger - Check out these two short hikes (the Island and Rim Trails) in Walnut Canyon National Monument! #walnutcanyonnationalmonument #walnutcanyon #nationalmonument #hiking

  • Have you ever been to a national monument? (Which one?)
  • Have you ever been to Flagstaff?

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34 comments

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  1. Would love to do both of these hikes in Walnut Canyon. Saved them. Thanks!

    1. Yay! I hope you get to go sometime! :]

  2. The scenery looks amazing and the trail looks quite simple to follow. Thanks for sharing – love how its accessible too!

    1. Agreed! :] I really liked the contrast of everything!

  3. These are some incredible places to go hiking! I love the different landscapes – definitely makes for great views!

    1. There were definitely lots of pretty views there! :]!

  4. I love the way you write all the details about the hikes! Would love to visit Walnut Canyon National Monument soon, thanks for sharing!

    1. hehe, thank you! :] I’m trying to add enough that if anyone wants to visit, they’ll be able to find it and know what to look out for + what to expect when they go! :]

  5. The scenery of this hike is spectacular, especially when you reach the higher parts. I would love to do it! I am always including a hike or two in every trip I do.

    1. Yay, me too! I hope you get to go sometime. :]

  6. This looks awesome! I especially love the areas where it’s almost a cave-like area. My kids would love playing in there ;)

    1. hehe, they definitely would! The kids I saw on the trail definitely enjoyed em’! :]

  7. Hi there!

    I love your “about.” Wow, you have super woman skills! :)

    Great photos and post. I had never heard of this place until I read your post. Good info to know the National Park pass is accepted here. Awesome info.
    Ashlee Fechino recently posted…Going Off the Grid – 7 Powerful Life Lessons LearnedMy Profile

    1. Aww, thank you! :]! There’s too much I wanna do so I don’t rest as much as I maybe should, haha.

      I only found out about this place because I was googling where else to visit while I was in Flagstaff, but it was definitely a cool find (+ I’m for sure gonna be finding other national monuments to visit with my park pass! *-*)!

  8. I loved the details and the pictures! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thank you for stopping by! :]

  9. Woah Flagstaff really does have some cool trails doesn’t it!? I have to admit, after living in Europe and Asia, I often forget that America has a long history as well (I’m really sorry about my failed colonial education!)

    So it is pretty awesome to see cliff dwelling rooms of the Sinagua people, that is so ancient! Was there any information about what made them leave the area? The dwellings look really livable, it makes me wonder why they didn’t stay…
    Josy A recently posted…Eiffel Lake – Moraine Lake HikesMy Profile

    1. haha, all good! America definitely doesn’t have as long a history as either Asia or Europe, so totally understandable! They’re not entirely sure what made them leave the area (kinda like with the cliff dwellings in Colorado at Mesa Verde National Park), but the thought process is maybe that the food supply dwindled so they had to move elsewhere to find more. It still amazes me how they built these!!

    • Ildiko on November 15, 2020 at 8:19 pm
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    I love to hike. Would love to explore these trails when in the area. Pinned for future reference. Look beautiful!

    1. Thanks! I’m the same way, so I always try to find hikes (and good food) wherever I go! :D!

  11. I got super sick in Flagstaff and we ended up saying several days – so while I’ve been to Flagstaff I definitely know my hotel room best, haha. Anyway, on our way out we stopped here on a whim, and it was so surprising and cool! I did pretty much exactly what you did and had fun too :D

    1. Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that–I’m glad you discovered this place too and glad you still had fun! <3

  12. Great looking trails and nice that neither seem difficult or will take too long. I’d like to check out this area

    1. These definitely weren’t too difficult so it didn’t take long (might take a tad bit longer if you stop to read every sign though! :P )!

    • Nina Clapperton on November 16, 2020 at 5:08 pm
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    Looks like a gorgeous hike! I’d love to get out and see those views.

    1. I hope you get to go sometime! :]!

    • Shelbs on November 17, 2020 at 1:41 pm
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    We love finding new trails in the area! Thanks for sharing!

    1. It’s one of my favorite ways to explore a new place! :]

  15. What a beautiful trail! The scenery looks stunning and the views are incredible! It looks like a beautiful place for a peaceful hike! I hope I get a chance to try it out one day! Thanks for the guide!

    1. There were lots of great views there! I hope you get to go sometime + have fun when you do! :]

    • Francesca on November 18, 2020 at 12:49 pm
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    I really need to explore the Flagstaff area. It looks like there are so many cool hikes over there, especially Walnut Canyon NM!

    1. I feel like I barely scratched the surface when I went, so I really want to go back someday! *-*

  17. What a cool place! I have been to Flagstaff but haven’t heard of this monument before. Next time, I’ll have to remember to stop by.

    1. It was a fun discovery! :]

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