Today I decided to hit all of the Flagstaff area National
Monuments. There are three of them and
they are all ancient sites, Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater, and Wupatki. Walnut Canyon and Wupatki are dwelling sites
of ancient native peoples and Sunset Crater is the site of an ancient volcano
that shaped the lives of the ancient peoples who lived in this area.
First, I headed a few minutes south to Walnut Canyon. This small canyon is known for the 800 year
old cliff dwellings built into the cliffs along the canyon walls. Some are accessible by a trail around a
central “island” which is a hiking trail of little under a mile. I decided to take the trail. It was a lovely day, if a little warm.
After Walnut Canyon, I went back to Flagstaff and headed a
bit East. Sunset Crater and Wuptaki are
on a loop off of Rt. 89 that goes through bits of Coconino National Forest and
a little private land. First on the loop
was Sunset Crater National Monument, the remains of a 900 year old
volcano. The mountain range around the
Flagstaff area, including the San Francisco Mountains above the city, are all
volcanic. Sunset is the most recent and
the lava flows are still evident, with few trees and plants able to take root
amongst the lava rock and cinders. I
took a couple of short walks through the area, but opted out of the whole Lava
Flow and Lenox Crater trails. Still,
some pretty interesting sights and some fall foliage!
After a scenic drive, where there were amazing views of the
Painted Desert in the distance (which didn’t really come out in photos), I made
it to Wupatki National Monument, which was really a series of pretty
spectacular ancient pueblos. There were
4 along the road Wukoki, Wupatki, Citadel, and Lomaki. I missed the Citadel because I was tired and
went right past it. Still, the others
were really cool.
Wukoki is on a sandstone outcrop and is visible for miles around
Wupatki was a regional center for trade and had 104 rooms
Lomaki and the Box Canyon pueblos are typical construction
for the area
While I was there, a rainbow appeared in the sky! Back to the rental for dinner and
sleeping…zzzz. Long day
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