Day 5: Wupatki

Wupatki Ruins

Waupatki is WAY OUT from Flagstaff, a good 30 miles northeast and we almost did not drive there but I am so glad we did. It became my Mother’s personal favorite of all the ruins we visited. The drive itself, while long, is very scenic and is a loop so you don’t have to backtrack that much.

The route goes right by Sunset Crater National Monument, a volcanic cinder cone. My Father really wanted to see this site, but it was so chilly and windy that we only took a short 1/3-mile trail. I have been there before and the 1-mile trail through the lava beds in very interesting.

Sunset crater last erupted between 1040 and 1100, a final hiccup in a long 6-million year history of volcanic activity in the Flagstaff area. The ash and tremors drove the local 400-year old Sinaguan population from the area. They did not return for a 100 years.

Wupatki National Monument contains at least 5 sets of ruins. Finally reaching our limit on ruins, hard to believe I know, we only stopped at the main one. This pueblo sits out on a plain several thousand feet below the plateau that Sunset Crater sits on. In the distance you can see Arizona’s painted desert.

There are two circular structures, which farther north I would call a Kiva, that served as community centers. The pueblo itself is multi-story, which is always fascinating to me. How these peoples, who did not have the wheel, were able to build apartment complexes is quite amazing if you spend more than two seconds thinking about it.

Community Room

The red rocks, blue skies, endless vistas that surround this sight make it a worthy spot if you are in the Flagstaff area.

Looking east out into the Painted Desert

Day 5: Walnut Canyon Rim Trail

Distance: 1 miles round trip
Elevation: 7,000 ft
Elevation Gain: None

Ruins in an alcove at Walnut Canyon. You can see this set from the Visitor's Center.

Having exhausted all the ruins near Sedona, the family unit decided to head north towards Flagstaff, which is 3,000 feet higher, and quite cooler than its trendier cousin to the south. I have always like the Flagstaff area because of its Ponderosa pines, which smell like my happy childhood summers camping around the west.

We hit two National Monuments near Flagstaff, the first one being Walnut Canyon. I am loath to pass up a tourist attraction, particularly if a new refrigerator magnet can be earned. I hate to say it, but the magnet was the best part of the outing.

The dwelling trail viewed from the Visitor's Center.

Walnut Canyon National Monument contains a series of cliff dwellings that are simplistically constructed into the canyon walls. There are over 300 steps down into the canyon to view the more impressive ones. There was no way my Mother, who had gamely managed to get around thus far, was going to handle that. Instead, we took her out onto the nice viewing platform that angles downward 30 feet or so below the Visitor’s Center. You can see some dwellings from there as well as the canyon floor.

A typical portion of the Rim Trail. You can see a few of the dead trees in the distance. On part of the trail they were everywhere.

We did walk the Rim Trail, which also has nice views of the canyon. There were a lot of dead trees in this area that turned out to be caused by Pine Beetle kill. We saw the tracks and scat of Mule Deer and one Juniper Titmouse that I managed to get a very blurry picture of. There are ruins of a pit house on the Rim Trail that is mildly interesting.

Looking down to the canyon floor. Most of the trees had yet to leaf out.

I don’t think I would drive 300 miles to see Walnut Canyon, but if you are in the area it would make a pleasant excursion. In milder weather, we were quite nipped after Sedona, a leisurely picnic on site would also be pleasant.