Vermilion Cliffs South

West of Page, Arizona, the spanking new, but renowned 293,000-acre Vermilion Cliffs National Monument shelters the splendid Paria Plateau, the dazzling Vermilion Cliffs, and the Paria River Canyon. This 3,000-foot-high escarpment known as the Vermilion Cliffs dominates northern AZ's House Rock Valley with its thick Navajo sandstone face, steep boulder-strewn slopes, rugged arroyos and stark overall appearance. These cliffs sat astride an important route from Utah to Arizona used by settlers during the 19th Century. The area was throughly explored by the Mormon pioneer and missionary Jacob Hamblin, who discovered springs and started a ranch at the base of the cliffs. This rugged and remote landscape is also home to many species of raptors, including the California condor, and other desert fauna like Bighorn sheep. This photo was taken from Highway 89,(looking north), showing an unnamed spire towering over the Soap Creek Bench. (September 2007) The blueish-purple color seen in these cliffs is caused by the precipitation of manganese and iron oxides occurring in the rock layers.