Our road trip from Utah to Arizona took us through the scenic Vermillion Cliffs Drive in Marble Canyon, also known as Highway 89A. One of the stops along the way was the Cliff Dwellers Stone House. It is an interesting quick stop to add on our long road trip. Cliff Dwellers has unique history, cool rock houses, and our favorite, giant boulders balancing on tiny bases.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surround areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no carving in sandstone walls and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Highway 89A, Marble Canyon
Coords: 36°44’46.9″N 111°45’04.0″W
Parking
There isn’t any official parking. You can park on any empty space, on the side of the road.
Restroom
There is no restroom
Fee
Free
Weather
Distance
This is not a hike. It’s right on the side of the road.
Level
Easy
Time:
15 – 30 mins
Pet-friendly
Yes
Ideal Weather
Cooler, less windy days. The soft sand can get pretty bad when it’s windy.
Ideal Time
Anytime
Video
History of the Cliff Dwellers
The Cliff Dwellers Stone House has a really unique story. During the Great Depression, Blanche Russel and her husband Bill packed their stuff and moved to the Southwest. Bill was suffering from Tuberculosis, and the couple was hoping to take advantage of the health benefits of the dry desert air. While driving through Marble Canyon back in 1927, their car broke down near these big rocks. After a few failed attempts to fix the car, they found themselves camping there overnight.
After that night, Blanche and Bill, drawn by the beauty of the land, decided to stay and built their homes here. Initially, the house was built from tarpaper and boards leaning against the largest rock. Eventually, they built a successful trading post business, which expands to a full-scale restaurant and a gas station. The original structures still remain to this day.
Blanche and Bill regularly played host to tourists in the area, groups of Mormons from Arizona became regulars at their restaurant. They would stop for something to eat as they traveled the nearby Honeymoon Trail on their way to a temple in St. George, Utah, to have their marriages sanctified. It was also popular with passerby’s on their way to the grand canyon.
Blanche and Bill spent the next ten years here before tiring of the isolation. They then sold the business to a local rancher named Jack Church, who turned the restaurant into a bar. This was in the middle of World War II. A third owner, Art and Evelyn Greene, later bought the business in 1943 retaining the old dwelling that by then consisted of eight outbuildings and a gas generator. The Lodge offered the first guided boat tours of the Colorado River. During those years, the Greenes were quite nervous about the Atom bombs that were being detonated in the Nevada Desert causing subsurface vibrations and threatening to topple even the largest boulders from their footings.
Business improved for a few years when Boy Scout troops and bus tours frequented the Rock Houses and made Cliff Dwellers’ Lodge & Restaurant a pit stop on their travels. For the Greenes, the locale was still a pretty lonely place to live with no telephone service and only two radio stations to listen to on a good day. Eventually, their fears of the rocks tumbling over as the bottoms became worn had the Greenes moving away.
The Greenes were the last people to claim ownership over the area and it has remained abandoned ever since. The fact that the buildings are still standing for the most part is a true testament to the building skills of Bill and Blanche
The Adventure
Believe it or not, we actually stopped at the Cliff Dwellers TWICE on our road trip. The first time we stopped by, there was a crazy sand storm. As much as we tried to braved the wind, it wasn’t that fun with all the sand in your face and eyes. It was a very exfoliating experience.
Our second attempt was more successful. And I have to say, I was more impressed with the Cliff Dwellers Stone House than I thought I would. For little to no effort as all, we were rewarded with some really cool and big balancing rocks. It was pretty incredible to see how these giant rocks balancing on some tiny bases. They look like they could topple over anytime!
As we moved away from the balancing rocks, we started to notice all these neat structures built against the big rocks. There were a few intact ones among the ruins. It was pretty neat to walk through and admired the ingenuity of these buildings.
Besides the structures and the balancing rocks, the whole area is just simply beautiful! I still can’t get enough of the colorful striped mountains in the background. No wonder Blanche and Bill decided to settle here. Even though it’s not something that we would go out of our way to visit, Cliff Dwellers is still a super neat stop to add to your itinerary if you travel along this part of Arizona.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
Good hiking shoes are recommended on these adventures. Vy uses the Merrell Women’s Moab 2 hiking boots
Dustin’s shoes are Targhee III Waterproof
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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