Timings: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily except New Year and 25th December.
Dwellings: Gaze across the 25 cliff dwellings in shallow caves built by Pueblo people. One can imagine the life of old people with this evidence of ancient inhabitants. From the trails, tourists can approach for a closer view of dwellings:
- Island Trail takes you back in time by experiencing 25 cliff dwelling rooms of Sinagua people. It takes around a 1-hour round trip to explore the trail.
- In Rim Trail (pedestrians only) you can explore a partial pit house and pueblo (village) where it takes around 30 minutes for a round trip.
Animal Area: In the park, there is a small area with a rich assembly of wildlife that makes it an interesting site to explore. Here in the natural sanctuary you can watch a wide variety of microhabitats and mixing species found in different places. In and around the park, there are species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds appreciating the interconnected network of life.
Commonly seen wildlife includes mule deer, jackrabbits, wild turkey vultures, mountain lions, black bear, elk, rock squirrels, and pronghorn antelope. The south side consists of bird species such as Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, prairie falcon, and great horned owl.
Plant and Vegetation Zone: Beyond the archeological site, Walnut Canyon, holds different types of plant species and patterns of vegetation across the landscape. All along the way, you can feel the changes in environmental conditions and thus plant species. It allows explorers to relax and enjoy landscapes and natural beauty.
On the higher part, you can find pine forest, Prickly Pear cactus to mixed conifer forest. As the elevation drops, one can see the juniper trees, native grasslands, and desert scrub communities on the south slope. At the bottom side, there are aspen, cottonwood, canyon grape, bee-balm, and Arizona Black Walnut to discover.
The place is not only to explore but also to learn and know about the historical-cultural site.
