Island Trail - Walnut Canyon National Monument

Walnut Canyon National Monument will celebrate its centennial on November 30, 2015. The monument preserves dozens of cliff dwellings of what archaeologists refer to as the Sinagua people. We visited during our May 2015 trip to the Southwest.

Starting at an elevation of 6690 feet at the back door of the visitor center, the Island Trail descends 185 feet via 240 steps and several switchbacks to a loop around a rock "island" created by a U-shaped bend in the creek bed. Since the canyon is 350 feet deep, the loop portion of the trail is approximately halfway between the rim and the canyon floor. The park service and its partners have been renovating the Island Trail for the past three seasons. The renovation has required different parts of the trail to be closed to the public each season. Due to the partial closure, the trail is now an out and back affair that lengthens the walk from 1.0 miles to 1.2 miles. The park service has numerous warnings about the strenuous climb back out of the canyon. I didn't find the climb to be an issue, but I stopped to take pictures along the way. There are several benches located along the ascent back to the visitor center. The entire trail is paved and all the stairs are either stone or concrete. Due to the stairs, this is not a wheelchair accessible trail. However, the nearby Rim Trail is accessible and provides views of several cliff dwellings from a distance.

Take and drink plenty of water. Unless your visit is during the middle of the day, the island will provide shade for about half of the loop portion of the hike. There is no shade on the switchbacks and stairs connecting the visitor center to the loop. The use and reapplication of sunscreen is highly recommended. The monument is a day use area and opens and closes promptly at the stated times.

Topographic map with GPS hiking route

Trail elevation profile

Looking southeast (downstream) from the rim

Looking south (upstream) from the rim

Heading toward the first switchback

Cliff dwellings across the canyon

Looking down on the reconstructed trail

The neck of the island

Handrails have been installed above all the steep drop-offs

The descent can be a bit dizzying

The Island

Prickly pear cactus

Another switchback

More stairs

A trailside rock outcrop

A park service maintenance employee works on the trail

Another employee working on the trail

One of several benches along the route

The west side of the loop is closed

Cliff dwellings abound when looking downstream

Cliff dwellings line both sides of the canyon

A lizard searches for shade

Yucca in bloom

Typical rock work on the reconstructed trail

Stairs abound even on the loop section of the trail

More cliff dwellings across the canyon

The remains of a cliff dwelling that was looted in the late 1800s

Douglas firs and Ponderosa pines grow on the cool, moist northern slopes

More stairs

 

This wall was torn out to provide light for looters

Soot lines the back wall and ceiling of this room

Rock art

Entrances were very short by our standards

A large rock hangs over the trail

The visitor center sits atop a row of cliff dwellings

Additional rooms were destroyed in search of souvenirs

Another overhanging rock

The current end of the trail

Several cliff dwellings to the west of the temporary end of the trail

The visitor center as seen from the loop junction

Looking back at the island

This dwelling with views in two directions is off limits

Looking upstream and downstream at the same time

An entry fee of $5 per person (16 and over) is collected at the visitor center and is good for seven consecutive days at all three Flagstaff area National Monuments (Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki). Other fee payment options include the Flagstaff Area National Monuments Annual Pass for $25, the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/waca/index.htm.