In Northern Arizona, a playground exists that rivals the color of Utah - the Vermilion Cliffs. With historic Lee's Ferry nearby, there is no shortage of activities and curiosities to stop and investigate. Today we set out to explore some of these gems.

Aside from breathtaking beauty in landscape and color, the Vermilion Cliff area of Arizona hides many hidden gems just waiting to be explored.

Spanning the Colorado River is the Historic Navajo Bridge. Opened in 1929, the bridge quickly became a much-revered structure by travelers. Prior to the bridge's construction, anyone wishing to cross the Colorado River in that area had to do so using a ferry, Lee's Ferry, or travel 800 miles around the river after the ferry sank. The bridge served motorists for decades until in 1995 a twin bridge was opened capable of allowing wider and heavier traffic to pass.

Lee's Ferry has a historic past of its own (which we cover in another video!) but we still would be failing if we didn't take a quick stop to observe the Colorado River from the shore. Here you can see some of the smaller rapids popular with rafters, kayakers, and other water enthusiasts.

Also in Lee's Ferry are also some balanced rocks that have to be seen to be believed. Large rock boulders fell thousands of years ago and over time partially shielded the material below from erosion, becoming an umbrella of sorts. Today one sees what appears to be a precariously placed boulder on top of a pedestal. Other rocks surround the area in differing stages of the same process.

Back on 89A, an old lodge sits - Marble Canyon Lodge. While we didn't stay at this location during our trip, this historic lodge dates back prior to 1929 when the Navajo Bridge was dedicated. The lodge has housed workers, travelers and even operated as a Navajo trading post. This place looks like it was plucked right out of the Old West!

The Vermilion Cliffs are really the star of the show here, but hang tight! We're going to explore the star of this area in more depth at a later date.

Lastly, we explore some peculiar buildings located just outside the Old Cliff Dwellers Lodge in Marble Canyon. These curiosities are said to be built by Blanche Russell after an unfortunate vehicle breakdown led her to the area. Upon falling in love with the landscape Blanche built houses around large boulders and began the process of opening a restaurant and trading post for travelers on their way to the Grand Canyon. True story or not, these buildings are fascinating and visitors are able to enter and poke around inside. Not to be missed!

VIDEO FILMED: 09/03/2022

▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ Hiking Lower CATHEDRAL WASH Trail to the Colorado River | Marble Canyon at Lee's Ferry, Arizona -    • Hiking Lower CATHEDRAL WASH Trail to ...  

▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Historic Navajo Bridge
04:48 Dipping into the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry
08:51 The Mysterious Balanced Rocks
13:25 Marble Canyon Lodge
17:12 Vermillion Cliffs
19:18 The Strangest Ruins in Arizona

▬▬ L I N K S ▬▬
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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.

Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking and day trips as well as campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!