Contact Info
- Phone:
- 928-284-0714
Basics
- Length:
- 82 miles (132 km)
- Time:
- Take 1 - 2 hours to drive this byway.
Description
Take a trip across Northern Arizona to the great meadows and forests of the Kaibab Plateau. As you drive the Fredonia-Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Byway, the flora and fauna changes from desert scrub to juniper, oak and aspens as the blue green waters of the Colorado River cut through Marble Canyon.
Beginning in Page and heading south to Bitter Springs, you'll drive past the red and plum hues of the Vermillion Cliffs. Skulking about the rugged edges is a peculiar looking bird with a bald, orange head and a nine-foot wingspan--the endangered California Condor. Take a walk across a bridge that has been standing since 1929 and affords a spectacular view of the water 470 feet below your feet.
Visit the Anasazi dwellings or learn about Native American history on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Having abandoned their homes in 1300 A.D., the remains of the sandstone pueblos remain for the public to see. The Navajo have made this area their home since 1350 AD and their reservation is currently the largest in the United States.
The Kaibab Plateau begins just after House Rock, and is home to more than 50 species of mammals including the Kaibab squirrel, a tuft-eared bushy-tailed squirrel found exclusively on the plateau. The word kaibab is a Piute Indian word meaning, mountain lying down. Stop in Fredonia for souvenirs of your trip, or pause at the La Fevre Overlook to get commit the image of the red-shale cliffs and sandstone promontories to memory.
Whether history, wildlife or scenery gets you moving, the drive along Fredonia-Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Road has something for every Arizona traveler.
