Hello Friends of Flagstaff Area National Monuments!
I am happy to give a quick update on interpretive operations for Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and Wupatki National Monuments.
Visitation has been crazy busy, and we are experiencing more visitors than ever enjoying their public lands. As such, we appear to be on track for sustained high visitation at all three Flagstaff area national monuments during an extended time of very real staffing challenges. We look forward to additional staff arriving this July which will ideally allow us to restore services beyond basic information and fee collection duties. In addition, we have a cadre of over 50 Volunteer-in-Park (VIP) volunteers and NAU interns who have literally kept us from having to close the doors to basic operations and for that we are very grateful.
All monument trails and restrooms are open, and visitor centers are open, but with limited hours and access as we emerge from the pandemic. Visitor Centers are currently open 9 am-12 pm & 1 pm-4:30 pm. Exhibit areas are still closed, and we are limiting the number of people in each visitor center to continue to mitigate risk for visitors and employees alike. If current trends continue with reduced COVID-19 transmission rates, we estimate reopening Visitor Centers to full operating hours (9 am -5 pm daily) and with exhibits open later this summer.
Because of the pandemic we intentionally haven’t offered any formal interpretation – guided walks, talks, or other programming that intentionally gathers people. Again, if current trends continue with low pandemic transmission rates, we estimate restarting formal programs to include restarting Crack-in-Rock hikes (October) and Discovery Hikes (throughout the fall).
On the digital front is the recent rollout of a new systemwide National Park Service app – it’s a quality product and we strongly recommend you download, use and enjoy it! Link is here: The NPS App – Digital (U.S. National Park Service), and let us know if there is anything you’d like to share and/or improve regarding the Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, and/or Wupatki sections of the app.
Also note that the City of Flagstaff has rolled out a new marketing campaign “The City of Seven Wonders” of which your Monuments are three of those seven wonders (#s 2, 4, and 7)! Check it out: City of Seven Wonders – Discover Flagstaff (flagstaffarizona.org).
As always, at your service – and thank you for being a Friend of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments!
Richard Ullmann
Chief of Interpretation and Fees
Flagstaff Area National Monuments
Two Employees Win Regional Awards for Resource Stewardship