120: Small Park Spotlight - Walnut Canyon National Monument

Exploring the National Parks

Dirt In My Shoes

Science, Society & Culture:places & Travel, Nature, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.8 • 653 Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we're spotlighting a gem that's easy to miss: Walnut Canyon National Monument. We’re here to tell you why you should definitely add this spot to your itinerary, especially if you're cruising between the Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest. It's small, it's packed with history, and it's got some seriously cool cliff dwellings! Join us as we discuss… Why this small park is the perfect pit stop for a dose of ancient history The epic 60-million-year story of how Walnut Creek carved this canyon (Spoiler: it involves a lot of time and a little bit of water) Who the Sinagua people were and why they're different from other ancestral Puebloans in the Southwest What you can do in this small but mighty park Why this monument has opening and closing hours (it's not just to be annoying, we promise!) We hope you're ready to add Walnut Canyon to your must-see list! It's an incredible place to experience a piece of Native American history up close. So, hit the island trail, soak in the views, and as always, get some dirt in your shoes! Head over to the Dirt In My Shoes Facebook and Instagram page for more travel planning and ideas!! For a full summary of this episode, links to things we mentioned, and free resources and deals to get your trip-planning started, check out the full show notes. .................................... Are you hoping for an epic and stress-free national park trip? Check out these FREE resources to make trip planning a breeze! Master Reservation List – learn about the camping, lodging, and activity reservations required for every park. National Parks By Month List – see the best parks to visit during every month of the year. National Parks Checklist – track where you’ve been and where you still need to go. National Parks Packing List – pack the essentials to be confident and prepared as you explore the parks. And for more information about Grand Canyon or Petrified Forest, check out our Grand Canyon Podcast Episodes and Petrified Forest Podcast Episodes! ....................................

Transcript

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0:00.0	Because these are Native American sites, they do close.
0:05.2	Right.
0:05.4	There are hours.
0:06.8	You can't enter the park during certain hours.
0:10.2	They do lock down.
0:12.3	This is the Exploring the National Parks podcast with Dirt in My Shoes.
0:17.4	My name is Ash and I'm a former park ranger and the founder of Dirt in My Shoes.
0:21.6	I think that the parks are best seen from the trail and I'm here to make National Park
0:26.3	Trip Planning easy.
0:27.9	And I'm John.
0:28.9	I carry the kids on the trails, tell stories and notice all the things that Ash doesn't care
0:33.0	about much like rocks.
0:36.6	Join us as we show you around America's spectacular national parks.
0:40.6	We're sharing our favorite places, fun facts, adventures, and misadventures.
0:44.7	And we'll even throw in a little trip planning.
0:47.5	Let's start exploring.
0:54.1	This is a small park spotlight episode where we choose one of our favorite smaller national park sites to talk about for a few minutes.
1:04.4	Yeah.
1:05.0	Today we have chosen to spotlight Walnut Canyon National Monument.
1:11.2	What a cool place.
1:11.8	A lot of people probably don't know where this is or what it is.
1:15.2	So today we would just want to venture into Walnut Canyon,
	...

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