Last September, we were headed from Zion National Park to our next stop in Sedona, Arizona before flying home from Phoenix. There was a loooong aimless drive on the way. By this point, we’d become obsessed with getting stamps in our National Parks Passport and were willing to stop at any brown NPS sign we saw.

The first random one was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. We met a cute older couple at the visitor’s center who were also getting their stamps, and they recommended we backtrack a bit to Walnut Canyon National Monument.

And man, I’m so glad we did.

We scoped out the visitor’s center and chose to do the main path around the entire monument, so we could walk through the foundations of the dwellings and have an across-the-canyon view of the others on the opposite side.

There’s a long paved downward path lined with desert plants and succulents ’til you get to the canyon. The path continues along the edge of the canyon and gives a panoramic view.

When I brought my phone out of my pocket to take another picture, the keys to our rental mini van flew out with them and – I kid you not – FLUNG DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CANYON a few feet.

I grabbed the guardrail and stretched as far as I could to retrieve them with the tips of my fingers from the base of sage brush.

WE GOT SO LUCKY.

There are a few of the structures that you’re allowed to go inside. It’s such a nice respite from how insanely hot it gets here.

After making Ike pose for a million photos, I stood up really fast forgetting that I was under a 4′ high ceiling. I’d never hit my head so hard. I had to laugh at myself because I imagined someone hundreds of years before probably doing the same thing. It hurt sooo bad.

After they key incident not 10 minutes before this, I took this as a sign and decided to basically just put my phone away before something worse happened.

The walk back up to the start at the visitor’s center is surprisingly strenuous and there are a bunch of warning signs about it that tell you to bring a ton of water with you.

This was my first time really seeing cliff dwellings like these in person and I was so awe struck. It’s amazing to imagine what this place must have looked like in it’s prime.

It was so nice to have it to ourselves so we could soak in the history and energy of the place without feeling rushed or like we were imposing on other people doing the same thing.

Walnut Canyon is the reason why we now feel compelled to stop at every NPS-managed site that’s not a “park.” If this place was randomly so amazing, can you imagine what else is out there?

To learn more about Walnut Canyon National Monument:
https://www.nps.gov/waca/index.htm

And to learn more about the various tribes for which this land is significant:
https://www.nps.gov/waca/learn/historyculture/associated-tribes.htm

The walk via AllTrails:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/island-trail-and-walnut-canyon-trail-loop

And about Sunset Crater Volcano:
https://www.nps.gov/sucr/index.htm