A Truly Hidden Abode, Walnut Canyon Monument

Walnut Canyon, Arizona

One of the best rewards while traveling is stumbling upon something or somewhere totally unexpected. It’s like trying out a new recipe and accidentally adding a wrong ingredient, but the dish actually tastes better than expected.

I’m not sure if that is a great analogy, but bear with me.

Having traveled east and west along Interstate 40 for years, I thought I had seen it all.

But one state always surprises me with new treasures.

And that one state is Arizona. 

Along Interstate 40, there are exciting destinations such as Flagstaff, Williams, and Winslow, just to name a few. There is the gateway to the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon Caverns, and one that I have read the highway sign for but never visited: Walnut Canyon Monument, just ten miles east of Flagstaff.

I decided to stop and check out what the hubbub was with this particular monument.

On my travels, I have been to both National Parks and National Monuments, so what was the difference?

A National Park is usually a very large area that protects the ecosystem and natural scenery, and offers diverse recreational activities for the public. This has to be set aside by an act of Congress.

Examples would be Yellowstone in Wyoming or the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

A National Monument, on the other hand, is created by a presidential order (or can be an act of Congress). A monument generally preserves a specific object, structure, or natural feature of historical value.

Examples would be the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Well, it was time to visit this Walnut Canyon National Monument.

The short drive from Interstate 40 to the monument is beautiful, with tall green Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir lining the entrance. Being situated at nearly 6,700 feet above sea level, the variety of other trees and foliage is something to truly marvel at. And, if lucky, the traveler may catch sight of an elk or a mule deer. Soaring through the treetops, raptors may be viewed hunting for prey. 

Looking out toward Walnut Canyon from the visitor's center

The visitor center is situated on a sheer cliff overlooking Walnut Canyon, and the view out of the massive glass windows is nothing short of marvelous.

If the center had a bar serving an adult beverage, I may have sat there all day staring out at all the natural beauty. But, alas, they did not, and I wandered off to see what there was to see.

An ancient people known as the Sinagua lived in this canyon, as well as others in the immediate locale and other locations throughout Arizona from 1125 to approximately 1250 AD.

Sinagua is Spanish for ‘without water’. Even though there were plenty of trees and bushes, this area of Arizona lacks a substantial amount of rainfall each year and is subject to long droughts. But the Sinagua people were masters at water conservation, gathering and taking advantage of the small creek at the bottom of the canyon, which is seasonal but did provide the water needed for the settlement of Native Americans.

The canyon floor is nearly 350 feet below the cliff edge of the canyon, and at the bottom are forests of Walnut trees, thus the name of the monument.

Creativity was the key in living at Walnut Canyon

These trees, as well as other varieties, offered the Sinagua a healthy diet of walnuts, acorns, and pinyon nuts. They also gathered grapes and elderberries, as well as growing their own corn and beans on the vistas of the canyon. And they hunted for food and skins with the multitudes of Bighorn Sheep, deer, and antelope that lived in the vicinity. 

These folks were also believed to be traders with not only other local tribes but as far away as Central America. They were masters at handcrafted straw baskets, pottery, and clothing made from animal skins. 

Evidence of the distance they traveled to trade was found by early archaeologists, who found examples of seashells from the Pacific Ocean, turquoise from Santa Fe, and even colorful macaw feathers from Mexico and Central America.

One of many family dwellings of the Sinagua

But the most interesting part of this national monument is how the natives resided. There were no tents, no wooden buildings, but carved-out abodes within the limestone cliffs themselves.

Over millennia, water pounded the limestone, carving large caverns into the rock faces.

It was in these sheltered cliff dwellings that the Sinagua made their homes. The individual rooms were not large but could easily fit a family in the countless structures that can be seen today in Walnut Canyon.

They used natural stone to build walls separating one family from another, and doorways were small for both protection and comfort during all four seasons. Even smaller openings were placed toward the roof of the overhanging rock as a way to allow the smoke from the cooking or heating fires inside the rooms to escape outside, thus not causing a smoke buildup within.

Notice the small opening above the door to allow the smoke to escape

With this information gleaned from the visitors center, it was time to take the one-mile hiking loop around the canyon and see firsthand the ingenuity of a people who lived here for a short one hundred years and then suddenly left. 

Was it a continued drought? Was it warfare from other tribes? Or was it just time to move on?

There is no real solid evidence of why the Sinagua left the canyon, but there is plenty of evidence learned on the hike that these people used the natural surroundings far better than I bet most modern humans could.

It should be mentioned that the trail around the dwellings is pretty flat and easy, but the bloody stairs leaving from the visitor center down to the trail are not for the weak of heart. There are 368 stairs down to the trail, and that means 368 stairs back up to the center, and at an elevation gain of 185 feet, there may be a moment to take a rest and catch your breath.

The trail is easy, the stairs not so much

But the burning of the lungs is worth it when the traveler wanders the trail and beholds the creative mastery of people who settled in Walnut Canyon over 900 years ago.

For more information: https://www.nps.gov/waca/index.htm

John can be reached at beyersbyways@gmail.com

Lucerne Valley is worth a thorough visit

 Many from the High Desert of Southern California, have driven through Lucerne Valley a number of times. Perhaps on the way to Big Bear. Perhaps on the way to Joshua Tree National Park. Perhaps on the way to Landers to experience the Giant Rock. Or perhaps just to stop in Lucerne Valley for breakfast or lunch, on the way for some heavy duty four-wheeling in Johnson Valley.

And perhaps, according to imdb.com, to film some of the following movies – Valkyrie (2008), Green Lantern (2011), and Alpha II (2918). 

There are so many more films, television series, and commercials that have been shot in Lucerne Valley – but, I just got lazy, and decided mentioning the three most popular films was enough to make my point.

But, Don Henry, owner and awesome artist, of ‘Art by Henry’, had something to add to those few I mentioned.

Some of Don's art work - there's plenty more

Laureen and I had stopped by Henry’s studio years ago, at the corner of Highway 18 and Trade Post Road, on our way to Big Bear. Bought a couple of pieces of art from the gentleman and then left. 

While I was back in town, I stopped by his business again.

“Didn’t you stop by here years ago?” Don asked.

“Yes, of course. You recognize me, since I don’t age,” I responded.

“What do you want?”

Did I mention Don is a pretty straight shooting kind of guy? 

Of course, being the social butterfly I am, Don and I hit it off immediately again.

“You know, I was in a music video, here in Lucerne Valley.” He told me. “The Hollywood types always use this part of the desert for commercials, music videos, and the like. We’re remote, and I guess viewers like remoteness.”

“I like remoteness,” I replied.

He just looked at me.

Turns out that Don Henry, was one of the actors in the music video by Kranium, filmed in Lucerne Valley in 2015. Kranium’s Kemar Donaldson, is a Jamaican reggae star. The video shot in Lucerne Valley was for his 2013 hit single, ‘Nobody Has To Know’.

He played his role down though. “I was the guy in the video cooking and waving at the crew when they left. Not much of a part, but nice folks and very professional.” 

Well, that part was more than I had in my bag of memorable moments with reggae singers. I listen to Bob Marley on Sirius – that’s all I have. 

But, I wasn’t in Lucerne Valley to discuss stardom with Don Henry. Nope, a reader had written to ask if I had ever heard of Chimney Rock, just west of the town limits of Lucerne Valley.

I know what a chimney is. I have plenty of fires during the winter, but no – not a chimney rock in Lucerne Valley.

Research, Watson, research.

Turns out that Chimney Rock is an important part of the history of the Mojave Desert.

Plaque located near Chimney Rock

On February 16th, 1867, a group of Native Americans found themselves fighting for their lives against a posse of settlers at Chimney Rock.

It is historically known as the last battle between immigrant settlers and Native Americans in the Mojave Desert.

As with all history, there are two perspectives.

Pioneers in the valley and up in the mountains near modern day Big Bear, had had enough of some of the local tribe members stealing their cattle, stealing their horses, burning down saw mills, burning down houses, killing a settler here and there, and just overall being aggressive.

Then, on the other side of the proverbial coin, the Native Americans didn’t like the settlers coming into the area carving up large amounts of territory for themselves. Erecting fences, constructing houses, creating more roads for more settlers, building towns, and having the overall effect of destroying their hunting grounds.

Not a positive situation for anyone concerned.

The matter was settled at Chimney Rock. This was the final camp of the natives, and they were surprised by a posse who had been following them for months.

There was a shootout, and the natives retreated to the desert areas. People of both parties were wounded and killed, and that was the last violent resistance in the Mojave Desert, according to historical sources. 

I had driven to Lucerne Valley to investigate the site of Chimney Rock. It was easy to find. At the junction of Highway 18 and Rabbit Springs Road, there are two stone markers indicating the site of the last struggle between natives and settlers.

“That was easy to find,” I said, as I pulled over and saw the markers. “Now what?”

I took some photos of the hills northwest of the markers and peered through a metal tube on the marker on the right. Looking through the tube, a person has a perfect sight to where chimney rock is.

The tube to see Chimney Rock

“Hey, that looks like a chimney,” I stated, wishing Laureen was there to respond – instead of sounding like an idiot talking to myself. “Wish Laureen was here.”

“Stop talking to yourself.” I said.

I had brought a metal detector for some searching around Chimney Rock. Never know what a person may find at the site of the last struggle between Native Americans and settlers. Bullet casings, belt buckles, or even a bucket of gold.

It was windy, chilly, and the hike would be well over a mile from where I was parked. And, there probably would be no pot of gold, so I decided to drive into Lucerne Valley and have a look around. When in doubt, take the easy route – another great motto.

Entering the town, I passed another place we had driven by many times in the past but never explored. ‘Nelson Studios’.

The location is easy to pinpoint on the north side of Highway 18, and the water tower with the name of the studio emblazoned on it, was a dead giveaway. The entrance is guarded by beautifully decorated stone walls with two ornate iron gates.

Very impressive, but there is no film studio. 

Why was this place deserted? I took out my phone, and asked Mr. Google. 

A little research led me to an article from the Daily Press, published on September 22, 2016. It was written by none other than Matthew Cabe.

His piece, This Desert Life: My Nelson Studios Obsession, is a must read. Fascinating, and full of research on how this place came about and the demise.

Detailed and precise. That’s his style – facts matter.

My take: he got it wrong.

As I walked through the deserted grounds of the Nelson Studios, what I experienced was tumbled down Roman columns, Roman tubs, Roman walkways, Roman benches with all those fancy curly kind of designs they were known for.

“What do you want on that fountain?”

“Some curly rock carved things. What do you think?

“I like curly fries.”

“Sorry, we’re two thousand years before they are invented.”

It was eerie, each step I took around the grounds I expected a Roman Centurion to come at me asking my business.

“Draw your sword,” he would demand.

 “I have a camera with a flash,” I would threaten.

And, where was Matt wrong?

I’ve traveled a lot in the desert over my years. Met great people from all the places I never knew existed.

So, in those travels and listening to what I’ve listened too, perhaps there is another reason for all the Roman stuff laying around the Nelson Studios.

Could Julius Caesar have stopped by Lucerne Valley to build a new empire?

He was powerful, egoistical and had desired world domination.

“What do you think, Crassus? Should Lucerne Valley be our next conquest?”

“I don’t think that’s how it happened,” Don Henry told me. “What I understand is that the studio was actually manufacturing things for Hollywood films. Like you saw as you walked around today.”

That meant Cabe’s research was more accurate than mine! Foiled again.

The day was spent, and so was I. Lucerne Valley is not a place to drive through from here to there. It is a place to stop. There is so much history, that it would take hours, if not days to take it all in.

Businesses are open, so take a moment and spend some time. Perhaps, like me, you may see the ghost of Gaius Julius Caesar hanging around, near Nelson Studios.

If not, how about a burger at Café 247? They are real. And tasty.

Café 247 is open for business

Oh, also stop by and chit-chat with Don Henry at his art studio. He has some real interesting items there, and is a local history book on legs.

The art and the artist is worth the stop