Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness
The U.S. Congress designated the wilderness area in 1984 and it was largely incorporated into the new Vermilion Cliffs National Monument proclaimed in 2000 by executive order of President Bill Clinton.The Colorado Plateau and its river basins are of immense value in the Earth sciences, specifically chronostratigraphy, as the region contains multiple terrain features exposing miles-thick contiguous rock columns that geologists and paleobiologists use as reference strata of the geologic record.The expedition stopped at the mouth of the Paria River in 1776 after they unsuccessfully attempted to establish a route from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Monterey, California.[8] Drier soil farther from the water makes a good environment for woody vegetation which has survived the repeated flooding, such as coyote willow, cottonwood, ash, tamarisk, and seep-willow.Wire Pass Trailhead is the starting point for hiking into the canyon via Buckskin Gulch, as well as to spectacular sandstone formations such as The Wave on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes.
IUCN categorywilderness areaCoconino County, ArizonaKane County, UtahUnited StatesPage, ArizonaU.S. Bureau of Land ManagementArizonaColorado PlateauplateausescarpmentscanyonsParia RiverColorado RiverLee's FerryU.S. CongressVermilion Cliffs National Monumentexecutive orderPresidentBill ClintonNational MonumentBureau of Land ManagementEarth scienceschronostratigraphyterrain featuresmiles-thickrock columnsgeologistspaleobiologistsstratageologic recordpetroglyphsancestral Puebloanbighorn sheepPaiuteFrancisco Atanasio DomínguezSilvestre Vélez de EscalanteDomínguez–Escalante expeditionSanta Fe, New MexicoMonterey, Californiauraniumbald eaglegolden eagleperegrine falconred-tailed hawkgreat horned owlCooper's hawkwhite-throated swiftviolet-green swallowrock wrencanyon wrenkilldeercliff swallowblack-throated sparrowruby-crowned kingletblue-gray gnatcatcherblack-chinned hummingbirdgreat blue heronflycatchersendangeredCalifornia condorsmule deerbobcatmountain lionporcupinebeavercoyotejack rabbitcottontail rabbitground squirrelskangaroo ratrodentDesert bighorn sheeprattlesnakechuckwallaside-blotched lizardleopard lizarddesert spiny lizardcollared lizardred-spotted toadflannel mouth suckerbluehead suckerrazorback suckerspeckled daceripariancattailscommon reedssedgesrusheshorsetailscoyote willowcottonwoodtamariskseep-willowrabbitbrushIndian ricegrassarrowweedsand dropseedpinyon pinejuniperboxeldercactusThe WaveWire Pass TrailheadBuckskin GulchsandstoneCoyote ButtesWilderness ActList of U.S. Wilderness AreasList of Arizona Wilderness AreasGeographic Names Information SystemUnited States Geological SurveyUnited States Department of the InteriorWayback MachineProtected areasFederalNational ParksArchesBryce CanyonCanyonlandsCapitol ReefNPS National MonumentsCedar BreaksDinosaurHovenweepNatural Bridges