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Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Marble Canyon, AZ

Photo: Lobineau, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

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

Why you should go…

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

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

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
    Iconic

    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

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    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

  • Sport & Outdoor
    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
    Iconic

    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