Walnut Canyon National Monument — Attraction in Four Corners States

*FYI, Detailed Stair Description!!!

Absolutely worth it! The canyon is gorgeous and you get great views from every single point of both trails. The dwellings are absolutely everywhere and easy to see all around and walk right up and into in many cases.

A big thing I saw in reviews were mentions of stairs and I wanna clear up some of the confusion. Some people say there are 150 stairs while others say as many as 700! I hate ambiguity and wanted to clear that up for others! So, here goes:

The main trail you wanna hike is the Island Trail which is a one way loop. You walk down the staircases and then do a loop around the "island" which is a part of the canyon that juts out with a bend in the old stream bed. Think iconic Horseshoe Bend, but you are on the opposite side of the bend in the river. You then have to hike back up that same set of stairs. My first photo looks down on the island. There are 284 steps there. I counted this both on the way down and way up to confirm and also confirmed with the volunteer at the info desk. There are also some small sets of stairs along the loop but only about 5 or 6 at a time between long flat stretches. It is also important to mention that the steps have a great rise for most people's height, nice railings, lots of rest spaces, all well-paved the whole way up and down, and some good breezes in spots.

So, I think the people saying 700+ numbers are counting down AND back, and the little steps on the loop. But the big thing to know is that it is 284 to go down and 284 to go up, and you can't avoid any of them. I wanted that distinct number because most people who have trouble with stairs have an issue with EITHER up OR down and not always both! Important to know that it isn't a ~700 step staircase itself.

Hope that helps someone make a decision whether or not to do it! Definitely not a "beginner" hike, but it is absolutely doable for most people, even beginners, if you take your time, rest a lot, wear a hat/sunscreen, and drink lots of water!

*Bathrooms available at the top. *No dogs allowed on island trail. *Last entry to trail is like 3pm or 4pm...

$25 per car // $20 motorcycle.

The park itself is beautiful, well maintained and clean. Very small Visitor Center with quite a bit of traffic and not all that prepared to handle the congestion. While there are stairs in the VC there are elevators and ramps making it ada friendly.

The rim trail is short flat and very easily walked. There are two viewpoints and three sets of benches: one at the first viewpoint, one at the second and one in between.

The views are really beautiful and you can see dozens of cliff dwellings from these points. We’ve never seen so many dwellings congregated in one are before. Everyone you blink you find another.

Taking the detour to the Pueblo was also a nice walk. There’s a small incline at the beginning but it quickly flattens out. There’s benches all along this trail as well.

The island trail took my husband and I (aged 30 and decently active) 10 minutes to climb back up but we also saved all the information plaques for the way up as a reason to take a breather. The trail is long enough that it really spreads people out. It is so quiet and serene on the backside of the island. There are 736 stairs ROUND TRIP but there is railing and benches scattered throughout to make it easy and worth it.

That being said, all of the sites along the island trail have been restored.

There is plenty of parking for rigs of every size however the parking lot is so small that people in normal sized cars filled the RV lane. There is a small overflow lot by the entrance gate.

It is a busy park considering its right outside of Flagstaff. We arrived right at 9:00 and were already the fifth in line and it steadily filled up after that. It somewhat slowed down...

At one time, there was water running in the bottom of the canyon. It last ran there as high water in 1993. The ancestral people built cliff-dwellings in the rock at the rim level and lower down. This protected them from harsh winters and gave them a head's up about any unwanted visitors. The dwellings are off-limits now but they can be seen and one can learn about the lives of the people from the video in the Visitor Center.

There are 240-steps down into the canyon before one reaches the 'Rock Island' in the center. This has steps up and down as you walk around it. The path is paved and relatively even. The elevation is about the same as Flagstaff until one starts to descend into the Canyon. The steps are actually poured concrete with handrails, not uneven stone, and there are several resting benches. It gets warmer as you descend and there is no water or restrooms, except at the Visitor Center. The air is a bit thinner, so take your time. Bring water and sun screen, since the sun is more intense as it reflects off the canyon walls. Wear comfortable walking shoes. The Rangers are quite nice and real sources of information. They are constantly working to keep the Monument free of graffiti and doing restoration work at the bottom. There remains a small grove of Black Walnut trees at the bottom where the weather favors them. To the east of the Visitor's Center, a trail branches off to go out along the rim for a short distance. Parking is adequate and free. So if the entrance fee, if you have the Senior Pass. Spend a few hours or a day. Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument are...