Walnut Canyon National Monument
4 / 7
We all like to start the day looking our best, and this sleek black-and-blue Stellar Jay was clearly no exception. I caught him in Coconino National Forest, fluffing, preening, and getting that mohawk just right. A female was perched nearby, so I assume this was not a casual grooming session. Honestly, with feathers like that, who could blame him?
After the jay wrapped up his morning routine, we gave Walnut Canyon National Monument another shot.
This time we arrived earlier than the day before, and we scored parking and finally got to explore. At Walnut Canyon, the Sinagua people once built homes tucked into the limestone cliffs high above the canyon floor. They farmed corn, beans, and squash without irrigation, collected rainwater, and hunted game to survive in an unforgiving landscape. Walking the Island Trail, we could see dwellings scattered across the canyon walls from a distance. The trail also offers an up close experience as it winds along the canyon wall. Some are tucked deep into the rock, others more exposed, all built right into the natural alcoves. It was hard not to think about the daily effort required to live here. Steep climbs. Hauling water up from the valley. Building homes by hand. The trail quite literally lets you follow in their footsteps.
After hiking down into the canyon, we walked part of the rim trail for a different perspective. Along the way we came across the remains of pit house foundations, marking where earlier structures once stood. It showed that people were living up on the rim long before the cliff dwellings below.
Later that afternoon, we decided to do some biking on one of Flagstaff’s many bike trails. Flagstaff has an impressive trail system, but we quickly discovered another defining feature of biking here: steep hills. Lots of them. There was plenty of huffing and puffing, and a few times where we cried uncle and walked the bikes up particularly brutal sections.
That evening we shifted boondocking spots and drove an hour to just outside Williams to prep for our next day's adventure. The site was peaceful, tucked into open forest, and having a few other campers nearby made it feel extra secure. Exactly what we needed after the juggling act of Flagstaff.
This time we arrived earlier than the day before, and we scored parking and finally got to explore. At Walnut Canyon, the Sinagua people once built homes tucked into the limestone cliffs high above the canyon floor. They farmed corn, beans, and squash without irrigation, collected rainwater, and hunted game to survive in an unforgiving landscape. Walking the Island Trail, we could see dwellings scattered across the canyon walls from a distance. The trail also offers an up close experience as it winds along the canyon wall. Some are tucked deep into the rock, others more exposed, all built right into the natural alcoves. It was hard not to think about the daily effort required to live here. Steep climbs. Hauling water up from the valley. Building homes by hand. The trail quite literally lets you follow in their footsteps.
After hiking down into the canyon, we walked part of the rim trail for a different perspective. Along the way we came across the remains of pit house foundations, marking where earlier structures once stood. It showed that people were living up on the rim long before the cliff dwellings below.
Later that afternoon, we decided to do some biking on one of Flagstaff’s many bike trails. Flagstaff has an impressive trail system, but we quickly discovered another defining feature of biking here: steep hills. Lots of them. There was plenty of huffing and puffing, and a few times where we cried uncle and walked the bikes up particularly brutal sections.
That evening we shifted boondocking spots and drove an hour to just outside Williams to prep for our next day's adventure. The site was peaceful, tucked into open forest, and having a few other campers nearby made it feel extra secure. Exactly what we needed after the juggling act of Flagstaff.