Walnut Canyon became a focal point for a community during the 1100s after people had known and used the area for thousands of years. Following the sharp meander of Walnut Creek, the canyon held many cliff dwelling rooms built at trail level, numerous pithouses and pueblos on both rims, and additional rooms atop the rock promontory or "island," where walls blocked easy access. This complex arrangement may have served seasonal, security, social, or ritual needs. Changing natural and social conditions across the region likely influenced settlement here as the Southwest's population swelled by 1100 and people sought new places to live and farm. Some tribal consultants believe the canyon also attracted people as a place of refuge and protection or of isolation and ceremonial preparation. Various groups today, including Hopi clans that trace their migrations through Walnut Canyon and these dwellings, claim these ancestral homesites. Depending on the calculation method used, the canyon's peak population may have been as few as 75 people or as many as 400.