Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Explore remote sandstone country of towering cliffs, deep canyons and swirling buttes, including The Wave, with a chance of seeing condors.

House Rock Valley Rd (BLM 1065), off US-89A · Marble Canyon, AZ

About Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Vermilion Cliffs is a remote 280,000-acre monument run by the Bureau of Land Management, taking in the Paria Plateau, Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon and cliffs that rise as much as 3,000 feet. There are no visitor centers or paved roads inside it, and most roads need a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle because of deep sand. Permits are required for Coyote Buttes North, home of The Wave, for Coyote Buttes South and for overnight trips in Paria Canyon. Captive-bred California condors are released here each year.

#national monument
#the wave
#backpacking
#condors
#hiking

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
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Horseshoe Bend
Under $25
Walk a 1.5-mile round-trip trail to an overlook 1,000 feet above a horseshoe-shaped curve of the Colorado River.
14 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sports & Outdoors
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Lake Powell
$25–$50
Boat, fish and houseboat on a red-rock reservoir that winds 186 miles up the Colorado River behind Glen Canyon Dam.
17 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
$25–$50
Boat, kayak or houseboat on Lake Powell, hike to canyon overlooks and tour Glen Canyon Dam across 1.25 million acres.
17 mi awayMore like this
Tours
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Antelope Canyon Tours
$50+
Navajo-guided walking tours through the sculpted sandstone corridors of Upper Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Tours
Outdoor Adventure
Waterhole Canyon Experience
$50+
Navajo-guided hiking and photography tours through a scenic slot canyon near Page, Arizona.
17 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sports & Outdoors
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The Wave
Under $25
Hike across open desert to a swirl of striped Navajo Sandstone troughs that look like a frozen wave.
20 mi awayMore like this