On our second visit to Walnut Canyon we were staying in a commercial campground just north of Flagstaff. We knew that the Monument didn't open until 9:00 a.m. at this time of year, so we slept in and took our time getting ready. We arrived just after 9:00 a.m.

There were a few cars in the parking lot, but it wasn’t packed. We walked through the Visitor Center, looked around at the few exhibits, then hiked the Island Trail. This is the one with the 240 steps to get down and to climb back up. It also has something like 25 rooms of ruins around the “Island” where we could get right up close. It’s a pretty canyon, surrounded by tall pines.

It's a pleasant canyon, with lots of vegetation and some walls of the canyon are covered in tall pines. Along the paved path we encountered a small tarantula.

After exploring the cliff dwellings we climbed out, caught our breath, then walked the relatively flat Rim Trail. This trail provides several overlooks down into the canyon, where you can see ruins snuggled up against many of the ledges below. The path also offers close-up views of the typical high desert vegetation. Walnut Canyon is a lot prettier than some of the raw desert locations we’ve seen at other pueblo sites. This would have been a relatively cool, comfortable, and probably secure location to dwell.

There is also a small pueblo site along the Rim Trail, and a covered pit house.

From Walnut Canyon we headed south to visit the V Bar V Heritage Site down in the Verde Valley near Sedona.

The temperature was cool, pleasant, and partly cloudy, with occasional sprinkles. There are rainy looking clouds interspersed with blue sky. It feels chilly.