Once you cross Navajo Bridge over Marble Canyon SR89A turns to the west leaving Echo Cliffs behind and parallels the towering Vermilion Cliffs, part of the 294,000-acre Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
A stop at the Navajo Bridge visitor center offers information, books and postcard sales. A walk onto the pedestrian bridge allows for a look 467 feet down into the Colorado River where you might see boats heading down stream.
And also look for California condors possibly soaring overhead or roosting under the bridge. I didn’t see any on this stop but have before.
Continuing west are three small bergs providing accommodations and restaurants, Marble Canyon, Lee’s Ferry Lodge and Cliff Dwellers (my favorite place to eat).
The stone house just before Cliff Dwellers is not an ancient native dwelling although Navajos often set up tables with items for sale. Around 1927, Blanche Russell’s car broke down near here and she liked the area so bought the property and built this stone house in the 1930’s.
Appropriately named for their color the Vermilion Cliffs get that red tone from iron oxide. Other colors show off in the many layers along the cliff face like tan and maroon sandstone, blues from manganese, gray and green shale, purple volcanic ash, and dark reddish brown siltstone and mudstone. Ancient deposits from lakes, streams, mud flats and sand dunes form this 3,000-foot escarpment.
The western end of the cliffs bend northward along House Rock Valley just before the climb up onto the Kaibab Plateau which takes you to Jacob Lake and the turn off to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Although the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument doesn’t offer many roads people have long traveled adjacent to the cliffs. In the 1800s, Mormon pioneers followed almost the same route as SR89A does today. Known as the Honeymoon trail because traveling couples were headed to Salt Lake City to marry.
What scenic highways have you driven lately?
Beautiful views.
I have often wondered about that ols stone house! Thanks for the history of it! Chuck and I saw a condor while gassing up at Marble Canyon this year!
The many colors of rock layers are so beautiful. You travel through some beautiful territory.
You did a beautiful job of covering the Vermilion Cliffs and Marble Canyon..an amazing area!
This is one beautiful drive! Plus the Condor is most excellent. I would love to see one of these guys out in the wild. Very exciting….so thanks for the pic. I had been waiting to see if you’d post one:) Thank you thank you thank you!
Fantastic Views! Can’t wait to see all of this in person.
The landscapes are just amazing. These routes across America looks like they are really worth exploring.
Oh, gosh….how gorgeous…. I haven’t driven any scenic highways lately–been housebound pretty much with daughter and little baby. But her husband’s family’s having a family reunion in Cannon Beach, Oregon (been there) and so part of that jaunt down will be scenic.
I am disappointed we didn’t see any condors like we did the last time we were in the area. We were disappointed we didn’t find a visitor center for the Vermillion Clifff’s for our NPS passport book. Were we suppose to stop at the bridge? We didn’t go that way…always another reason to go back!
That’s just beautiful. I remember stopping at Navajo bridge way back when. No visitor centers but still spectacular.
The first picture makes me long to be on the road again! Such spectacular scenery. I’d like to know more about that spunky lady who built a house where her car broke down — way back then especially, she had to be quite a gal!
Gaelyn, what a beautiful place and drive . I love the view of the river and the condor is cool. Wonderful photos, happy Skywatching!
beautiful colors on those cliffs against the sky!
Northern Arizona is marvelous country, isn’t it? Breathtaking!
Desert Sky
Wonderful viewas of scenes that I’ve seen and others I have not! Awesome the one of the stones house and it’s history! The southwest has an attraction like no other so mystical! Happy trails!
What a terrific series of photos for the day, Gaelyn! And I do love those skies!! Such a beautiful part of the country and you’ve captured it so perfectly! I do love the southwest and your photos brought back lots of fun memories! Thanks!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Sylvia
What scenic highways have I traveled lately? Very few. Mostly interstates which don’t lend themselves to scenic. However, we drive over the long, long stretch of the Atchafalaya Swamp in Louisiana which gives you some glimpses of the swamp and the Atachafalaya River Delta. I’ve promised myself (and warned Saint Gene) that our next trip will be scenic backroads and countrysides. And, late next spring, your Big Ditch. But until then I’ll just have to visit vicarously through your wonderful photographs.
Recently i was on parts of the Elkhorn Scenic Byway and Grande Tour Route in northeastern Oregon. I avoid Interstate highways as much as possible so I’m on scenic byways/highways a lot as I move from place to place in the western states.