Contact Information
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, UT 84790
435-688-5200
This spanking new, but nonetheless renowned 293,000-acre monument shelters the splendid Paria Plateau, the dazzling Vermilion Cliffs, and the Paria River Canyon. The Paria Canyon has towering walls streaked with desert varnish, huge red rock amphitheaters, sandstone arches, wooded terraces, and hanging gardens. The 3,000-foot escarpment known as the Vermilion Cliffs dominates the remainder of the wilderness with its thick Navajo sandstone face, steep, boulder-strewn slopes, rugged arroyos and stark overall appearance.In the northwest portion of the wilderness lies Coyote Buttes, an area of spectacular scenery displaying domes, aprons, fins, corridors, and a variety of delicate rock sculptures carved in swirling sandstone. The variety of colors and textures in the rock formations within the wilderness change with by time of day and weather. This is one of planet Earth's most magical spots. The monument contains outstanding biological objects which have been preserved by remoteness. Elevations range from 3,100 to 7,100 feet above sea level. So its vegetation is a combination of cold desert and warm desert grassland. Twenty species of raptors have been documented in the monument, as well as a variety of reptiles and amphibians. Desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, and other mammals roam the canyons and plateaus. The Paria River supports sensitive native fish, including the flannelmouth sucker and the speckled dace.
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