Things to do nearVermilion Cliffs National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument encompasses nearly 300,000 acres of high desert terrain along the Arizona Strip, a remote stretch of land north of the Grand Canyon that remained one of the last regions in the continental United States to be fully mapped. Designated a national monument in 2000, the area protects a landscape shaped across hundreds of millions of years, where the Paria Plateau, Coyote Buttes, and the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness converge into an extraordinary mosaic of geological formations. The cliffs themselves are composed of Navajo Sandstone, the same ancient dune deposits that give The Wave its hypnotic, flowing lines of crossbedded rock in shades of cream, coral, and rust.

Hikers who venture into Paria Canyon follow a narrow corridor carved by the Paria River, passing pre-Columbian rock art panels and fossilized dinosaur tracks embedded in canyon walls. The monument also contains remnants of historic ranching and pioneer travel routes, offering a quiet sense of the human stories layered into this landscape alongside the natural ones.

Wildlife is quietly abundant here, from desert mule deer and pronghorn to peregrine falcons and the celebrated California condors that wheel above the cliffs on broad thermals. The nearest services are found in the small communities along US Highway 89, making self-sufficiency essential for any visit. Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is the kind of place that demands patience and preparation, and returns both in full measure.