The following information is from the National Park Service web site.
Hike down into Walnut Canyon and walk in the footsteps of the people that lived here over 900 years ago. Under limestone overhangs, the Sinagua built their homes. These single story structures, cliff dwellings, were occupied from about 1100 to 1250. Look down into the canyon and imagine the creek running through. Visualize a woman hiking up from the bottom with a pot of water on her back. Imagine the men on the rim farming corn or hunting deer. Think of a cold winter night with your family huddled around the fire...
Come out and see millions of years of history unraveled in the geology of the rocks. Listen to the canyon wren and enjoy the turkey vultures soaring above. And if you look closely, you may even see an elk or a javelina. Different lifezones overlap here, mixing species that usually live far apart. In this canyon, desert cacti grow alongside mountain firs. A truly beautiful place to see!
And it is a sacred place. The people that lived here moved on to become the modern pueblo people of today. Walnut Canyon is one of their ancestral homes. Travel through quietly and carefully. And please, leave no trace.
Walnut Canyon National Monument was established in 1915 to preserve numerous Prehistoric archaeological sites which are spectacularly located in cliffs and along the rim of Walnut Canyon. The focus of the proclamation was protection from looting and vandalism of the cliff dwelling structures located under the canyon's limestone ledges.
Evidence of human use at Walnut Canyon can be traced back over 2,000 years. Based on ceramic analysis and tree ring dates, most Sinagua sites in the area date from 1100-1225 AD. The progression of cultural change and adaptation of the Sinagua is clearly evident at Walnut Canyon.
To recieve credit for this cache you need to have a picture of yourself and GPS with a cliff dwelling in the back ground,and sign the log book at the visitor center.
Please take the time to enjoys the hikes in among cool pines.