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A geologic treasure, the focal point of 294,000-acre Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is the vast and majestic Paria Plateau. Along its southern edge, the stunning Vermilion Cliffs rise 3,000 feet in multicolored layers of shale and sandstone. To the east, the spectacular Paria River Canyon reveals a 2,500-deep geologic wonderland of amphitheaters, arches and massive sandstone walls. Coyote Buttes in the northwest corner exhibits colorful banding in waves of yellow, orange, pink and red. Elevations in the monument range from 3,100 to 6,500 feet.
Total size: Approximately 294,000 acres
Location:
Located on the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument includes the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. The monument borders Kaibab National Forest to the west and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to the east.
Historical Facts:
Some of the Southwest's earliest rock art occurs here, left by hunters and gatherers who crossed the area 12,000 years ago. The monument also contains remnants of large and small villages in several Ancestral Puebloan sites. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the monument was a crossroads for Spanish explorers and Mexican traders, also for Mormon pioneers and newlyweds who followed the Honeymoon Trail to the St. George temple to have their marriages solemnized. Historic ranch structures built by early homesteaders still remain. In 1871, John Wesley Powell brought his historic exploration through the area.
Designation Date: November 9, 2000, by President William J. Clinton.
Watch the Clip
In the far northern reaches of Arizona, the landscape leaves the high desert plains and takes a decided step up. The marked transition is the Vermilion Cliffs, an area President Bill Clinton made a national monument in the year 2000.
>>Free software downloads: Windows Media - Quicktime
Windows Media file:
PC compatible
Low 189 KB | High 1.11 MB
QuickTime movie:
Macintosh/PC compatible
1.31 MB
Learn more:
Vermilion Cliffs Fact Sheet/BLM
Vermilion Cliffs Photo Gallery/BLMVermilion Cliffs Background/BLM
Managing Agency:
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Arizona Strip Field Office
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790-9000
(435) 688-3200
