Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona protects nearly 294,000 acres of cliffs, plateau, buttes, and canyon country shaped by millions of years of erosion into brightly layered mesas, escarpments, and narrow canyons. Established in 2000 and administered by the Bureau of Land Management, it is known for unusual desert biodiversity, including many raptors, reintroduced California condors, rare fish, and Welsh’s milkweed. Human presence here stretches back about 12,000 years, reflected in hundreds of Native American pueblos, granaries, burial areas, and extensive rock art. Later visitors included the Domínguez-Escalante expedition, Mormon explorers, and John Wesley Powell.