Walnut Canyon Cliff Dwellings

Today we went to Walnut Canyon National Park. The visitor center is perched on the canyon rim, and the canyon walls have hundreds of ancient cliff dwellings in them. There were artifacts from the natives that included woven cotton cloth, spear and arrow heads, painted pottery, grinding stones, and woven baskets.

We hiked the strenuous Island Trail, which allowed us to walk on a ledge-type trail around a raised up "island" of cliffs in the center of the canyon. We were able to explore about 30 rooms. The walls were stone "bricks" with river mud used for mortar. The rooms had small doors, thick dividing walls (some with handprints in the mud!), a smoke hole, and blackened interior walls from the smoke. There was plenty of room to stand, and many rooms had a stone ledge along one side perfect for sitting on.







It was a windy temperate day and the canyon views were breathtaking. This experience was definitely a highlight of the trip! :) Connie