Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

White Pocket, at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, at sunset
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_Pocket_Sunrise.jpg
Author: John Fowler


Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a national monument protecting a nature site located in northern Arizona, immediately south of the Utah border. The national monument was established by proclamation of President Bill Clinton on 9 November, 2000. It covers a 294,000-acre (1,189 sq km) area that includes the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes and Paria Canyon.

Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coyote_Buttes.jpg
Author: Lobineau


Vermilion Cliffs National Monument has a diverse landscape featuring sandstone, siltstone, limestone and shale. The area covers a terrain ranging in elevation from 3,100 ft (944 m) to 6,500 ft (1,981 m). The most interesting feature of the monument are its richly colored rock stata whose vermilion color gave the site its name.

The Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is also rich in plant and animal life. It is home to twenty species of raptors including bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and several species of hawks. Mammals dwelling the area include desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelopes and mountain lions. Among the flora of Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is the Welsh's milkweed, presently on the threatened list of plant species.

The Wave, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Wave,_Paria_Canyon,_Arizona.jpg
Author: Jim Gordon

Visiting Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

From Flagstaff, take US Highway 89 heading north. The Paria Contact Station is open daily from 15 March to 15 November from 8:30 am to 4:15 pm Mountain Standard Time. A permit, available online at the Bureau of Land Management (www.blm.gov) website, is required for hiking in Coyote Buttes, part of the Paria Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Permits cost $7 per person per day.

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