Skip to content
The Green Adventures
Find my parkMapGreat Smoky MountainsZionYellowstoneSee all: ParksCaliforniaAlaskaUtahSee all: By stateNational monumentsSeashores and lakeshoresAll 412 Park Service sitesSee all: All sitesWhich park should I visit?Pass calculatorCampground finderSee all: Trip toolsAnnual pass 2026International visitorsFree days 2026See all: Fees and passes

National Monument · Arizona

Walnut Canyon National Monument

National Monument in Arizona. $25 per vehicle.

By The Green Adventures · Updated · How we check

TypeNational Monument
StateArizona
Entrance fee$25 per vehicle
CampgroundsNone
Nearest national parkGrand Canyon (71 mi)
Closest airportFLG (10 mi)
Walnut Canyon's cliff dwellings are illuminated by the afternoon sun.
The dynamic landscape of Walnut Canyon was home to a thriving Native American community roughly 900 years ago. Photo: NPS Photo

Walnut Canyon National Monument is a national monument run by the National Park Service in Arizona.

In the park service’s words

Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have lived and traveled throughout Walnut Canyon’s dynamic landscape. Vibrant communities built their homes in the cliffs and farmed along the canyon’s rim. Today the park preserves this landscape, and the ancestral homes in and around the canyon.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Things to do

  • Become a Junior Ranger at Walnut Canyon (30 to 60 Minutes): Join Miguel the Mule Deer in exploring the human history, geology, and wildlife of Walnut Canyon National Monument and earn a Jr. Ranger badge.

Fees and hours

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle. The America the Beautiful pass covers it.

Hours: Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. Walnut Canyon National Monument is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access to park's trails and views of the canyon are not accessible outside of operating hours. Access to the Island Trail closes at 4:00 pm. Visitors are encouraged to begin the Rim Trail by 4:30 p.m. to ensure enough time to complete the trail by 5:00 p.m. when the park's gates are closed. *The park is closed on December 25th, and January 1st. During these closures there is no access to park trails or viewpoints.

Getting there

Walnut Canyon National Monument is located approximately 7.5 miles (12 km) east of Flagstaff. From Interstate 40, take Exit 204, and turn south. The Walnut Canyon Visitor Center is located at the end of this 3-mile (5 km) road.

Airport City Drive to the park Straight-line miles Type
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) Flagstaff, AZ No road route 10 Regional
Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field (PRC) Prescott, AZ No road route 63 Regional
Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) Grand Canyon - Tusayan, AZ No road route 65 Regional
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) Phoenix, AZ No road route 123 Large hub

Drive times run from the airport to Zion Canyon Visitor Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.

Miles are straight-line distances.

Visitor centers

  • [Walnut Canyon Visitor Center](): Daily, 9:00AM - 5:00PM. The visitor center is open daily with exceptions for extreme weather conditions and select holidays.

Weather

Be prepared for variable and extreme weather conditions. You may expect high winds any time of year, summer temperatures above 95ºF (35ºC), afternoon storms July, September, and heavy snow from fall to spring. Dress in layers, as weather at Walnut Canyon can change quickly at any time of year.

From the National Park Service (public domain).

Know before you go

Drones are banned at almost every park site, and you may not take rocks, plants or artifacts. Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet where they are allowed. Bring no firewood from home.

Nearby

The nearest national park is Grand Canyon, about 71 miles away in a straight line.

Sources

Last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee at Walnut Canyon National Monument?

$25 per vehicle.

Where is Walnut Canyon National Monument?

In Arizona. The closest airport with scheduled flights is Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, about 10 miles away.

More sites nearby

African Burial Ground Memorial National monumentsAfrican Burial Ground National Monument National Monument in New York. No entrance fee. The visitor center sits in the middle of mixed grass prairie. National monumentsAgate Fossil Beds National Monument National Monument in Nebraska. No entrance fee. 2 hikes listed. Turtle Petroglyph at Antelope Creek Village Site National monumentsAlibates Flint Quarries National Monument National Monument in Texas. No entrance fee. A lone raft floats the Aniakchak Wild River as it flows through the "Gates" National monumentsAniakchak National Monument & Preserve National Monument & Preserve in Alaska. No entrance fee. 1 hikes listed. Reconstructed stone kiva amidst stone ruins National monumentsAztec Ruins National Monument National Monument in New Mexico. No entrance fee. the village of Tyuonyi National monumentsBandelier National Monument National Monument in New Mexico. $25 per vehicle. 14 hikes listed.