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Walnut Canyon National Monument is a United States National Monument located about 10 mi (16 km) southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, just off Interstate 40. The canyon rim lies at 6,690 ft (2,040 m); the canyon's floor is 350 ft lower. A 0.9 mi (1.4 km) long loop trail descends 185 ft (56 m) into the canyon passing 25 cliff dwelling rooms constructed by the Sinagua people.
Cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon
Most of the cliff dwelling rooms are situated near the loop trail, typically slightly above the trail and immediately outside the loop itself. A typical room might have been the dwelling of a single family, and might measure approximately two meters high by six meters long by three meters deep.
There are many more dwellings to be seen up close in the canyon just east of the Monument, although it is illegal to actually enter the canyon.
Walnut Canyon was proclaimed a national monument on November 30, 1915. It was transferred from the USDA Forest Service to the National Park Service on August 10, 1933. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.[1]
[edit] Geology
North wall of Walnut Canyon showing changes in lithology, and a few cliff dwellings at center.
Walnut Canyon lies on the Colorado Plateau and cuts through the Permian Kaibab Limestone, which exposes the Toroweap Formation and Coconino Sandstone.[2] The Kaibab formation also forms the rim of the Grand Canyon. Crossbedding is present in the Coconino Sandstone.
[edit] References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ Ulrich, G.E., Billingsley, G.H., Hereford, Richard, Wolfe, E.W., Nealey, L.D. and Sutton, R.L., 1984, Map showing geology, structure, and uranium deposits of the Flagstaff 1 degrees x 2 degrees quadrangle, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-1446, scale 1:250000.
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