Marble Canyon, AZ

Our journey through northern Arizona brought us to a place as remote as it is breathtaking: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Spanning nearly 300,000 acres of windswept plateaus, sculpted canyons, and colorful sandstone formations, this monument feels like stepping into an ancient canvas painted by nature itself.

To hike the “permit-only” backcountry, you literally have to win a lottery!  We did not try that, yet we still found ourselves surrounded by magical landscapes.

The Colorado River was busy with rafters, and wild horses grazing along the shore.  But even with that…there is a stunning beauty and sense of solitude here and it is easy to be awed by the silent, ancient grandeur all around..

Unfortunately, we did not catch sight of some of the monument’s famous residents: the California condors. These massive birds, once nearly extinct, now supposedly soar gracefully above the cliffs….we will have to catch them the next time!