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6113
Arizona

Hiking Arizona’s Marble Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs: Off the Beaten Path

In remote and beautiful Marble Canyon, enjoy challenging hikes in a geologic wonderland of slot canyons, red rock vistas and the awe-inspiring waters of the Colorado River.
Rating (5)
Program No. 6113RJ
Length
7 days
Starts at
1,349
Arizona

Hiking Arizona’s Marble Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs: Off the Beaten Path

In remote and beautiful Marble Canyon, enjoy challenging hikes in a geologic wonderland of slot canyons, red rock vistas and the awe-inspiring waters of the Colorado River.
Length
7 days
Starts at
1,349
Program No. 6113 RJ

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Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 27 - Mar 5, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Mar 6 - Mar 12, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Mar 20 - Mar 26, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Mar 27 - Apr 2, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Apr 3 - Apr 9, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Oct 16 - Oct 22, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Oct 23 - Oct 29, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Oct 30 - Nov 5, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Nov 6 - Nov 12, 2022
Starting at
1,349
Dec 4 - Dec 10, 2022
Starting at
1,349
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 27 - Mar 5, 2022
Starting at
1,449
Mar 6 - Mar 12, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Mar 20 - Mar 26, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Mar 27 - Apr 2, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Apr 3 - Apr 9, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Oct 16 - Oct 22, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Oct 23 - Oct 29, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Oct 30 - Nov 5, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Nov 6 - Nov 12, 2022
Starting at
1,569
Dec 4 - Dec 10, 2022
Starting at
1,449

At a Glance

In remote and beautiful Marble Canyon, enjoy varied hiking opportunities in a geologic wonderland. While on foot in this challenging terrain, be rewarded with infinite views as well as the hushed space of a twisting slot canyon. Hike hidden trails and explore off-the-beaten-path locations known only to local experts. Spend time on the Colorado River while connecting with nature and history in this storied landscape.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Challenging
Hike six miles daily, largely off-trail, over uneven terrain, high steps and desert vegetation with elevation changes of 1,600 feet. Must have good balance and use of hands to navigate some rocky sections. Elevations of 3,000-5,000 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Hike to the Colorado River via sinuous Cathedral Wash canyon.
  • Explore the Chocolate Cliffs, revealing outcrops of rare petrified wood and ancient rock art.
  • Hear from naturalists as they share their knowledge of the canyon and interpret its geologic, natural and human histories.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Karlyn Bunting
Karlyn Bunting grew up in Page, Arizona, after the construction of Glen Canyon Dam – at the heart of what is commonly called the Grand Circle. He loves to hike and explore the many natural wonders of the region, and is deeply interested those who traveled this region prior to our modern day — from the Ancestral Puebloans to the Mormon migrations. Karlyn is also an avid photographer and storyteller, and enjoys sharing his unique and multi-faceted perspective of the Colorado Plateau.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Karlyn Bunting
Karlyn Bunting View biography
Karlyn Bunting grew up in Page, Arizona, after the construction of Glen Canyon Dam – at the heart of what is commonly called the Grand Circle. He loves to hike and explore the many natural wonders of the region, and is deeply interested those who traveled this region prior to our modern day — from the Ancestral Puebloans to the Mormon migrations. Karlyn is also an avid photographer and storyteller, and enjoys sharing his unique and multi-faceted perspective of the Colorado Plateau.
Profile Image of Mike Young
Mike Young View biography
Mike Young has lived in Arizona for 40 years, and taught math and geology at Yavapai College prior to his work with Road Scholar. To convey the Arizona landscape, Mike uses a broad range of topics including botany, natural history, and geomorphology. He has worked as a commercial boatman, designed and constructed his own home, and conducted field exercises throughout the intermountain West. He is an accomplished hike leader who inspires hikers of all skill levels.
Profile Image of Eric Kee
Eric Kee was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Tuba, City, Ariz. In addition to sharing his Navajo culture, Eric enjoys spending his spare time building Native American flutes, working with silver and enjoys hiking, kayaking, camping with his family. He met his wife in Florence, Italy during his three years teaching English and working Italian camps for kids. He, along with his wife and three children, currently reside in Tuba City, Arizona.
Profile Image of Amanda Sahli
Amanda Sahli View biography
Since studying at Northern Arizona University and exploring the Colorado Plateau, Amanda Sahli has lived in the Grand Canyon area for over 20 years. After teaching and leading groups throughout the area, she began working in native plants and archaeology while continuing to share the Grand Canyon with groups of all ages. She has worked as a ranger at the Grand Canyon experiencing it from the rustic winters at Tuweep Ranger Station to baking summers at Phantom Ranch and the wild waters of the Colorado River.
Profile Image of Donnie Stockwell
Donnie Stockwell View biography
Donnie Stockwell, born the son of an avid fisherman and hunter, grew up exploring the bountiful landscapes of the American Southwest. After graduating high school as valedictorian, he studied at Seattle University and has been shaped by the beautiful communities of Seattle, Washington; Glacier, Montana; Bend, Oregon; and Flagstaff, Arizona. Donnie has an admiration for the outdoors that leads his passion about the human histories of ancient peoples, the immense timelines buried in geology, and the bountiful ecosystems that support a plethora of life.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West
by Stegner, Wallace
Here Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, gives us a thrilling account of Powell's struggle against western geography and Washington politics. We witness the successes and frustrations of Powell's distinguished career, and appreciate his unparalleled understanding of the West. "Stegner's most exciting work." (San Francisco Chronicle) 496pp
Half Broke Horses
by Walls, Jeannette
Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, wrote this true life novel which unfolds across Northern Arizona from the 1920s to the 1960s. Its heroine, Lily Casey Smith, (Ms. Wall's grandmother) battled the elements, prejudices, economic conditions and politics of remote frontier Arizona. Many of the locations described - Peach Springs, Seligman, Flagstaff, the Navajo Reservation, the Arizona Strip - are sites visited by NAU Road Scholar programs. Readers of this selection will feel the sense of heritage from this tale of life in our distant corner of America.
Everett Ruess - A Vagabond for Beauty
by W.L. Rusho
Everett Ruess, the young poet and artist who disappeared into the desert canyonlands of Utah in 1934, has become widely known posthumously as the spokesman for the spirit of the high desert. Many have been inspired by his intense search for adventure, leaving behind the amenities of a comfortable life. His search for ultimate beauty and oneness with nature is chronicled in this remarkable collection of letters to family and friends.
Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis
by Glennon, Robert
In the middle of the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas casinos use billions of gallons of water for fountains, pirate lagoons, wave machines, and indoor canals. Meanwhile, the town of Orme, Tennessee, must truck in water from Alabama because it has literally run out. Robert Glennon captures the irony—and tragedy—of America’s water crisis in a book that is both frightening and wickedly comical. Unquenchable reveals the heady extravagances and everyday inefficiencies that are sucking the nation dry.
Lee's Ferry: From Mormon Crossing to National Park
by Reilly, P.T.
The Colorado River and its deeply entrenched canyons create a lengthy barrier to travel in the interior West. Here and there, ancient Indian foot trails descend canyon walls and find access to the bottoms, but one of the few places between Colorado and California where wheeled vehicles can approach the river's banks is at its confluence with the Pahreah River, between Glen Canyon and the steep drop toward Grand Canyon. Here, from the mid-nineteenth until well into the twentieth century, Lee's Ferry was a primary link between Utah and Arizona.. Mormons trying to reach potential Indian converts and new lands for colonization to the south first developed the site. John D. Lee and members of his family, seeking an inconspicuous spot after the Mountain Meadows Massacre, were the first residents at what they called Lonely Dell. In subsequent decades, many interesting and important western characters passed through this topographical and historical funnel, from John Wesley Powell to Buffalo Bill. 542pp.
Desert Solitaire
by Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, the noted author's most enduring nonfiction work, is an account of Abbey's seasons as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah. Abbey reflects on the nature of the Colorado Plateau desert, on the condition of our remaining wilderness, and on the future of a civilization that cannot reconcile itself to living in the natural world.
Encounters with the Archdruid
by McPhee, John
The narratives in this book are of journeys made in three wildernesses - on a coastal island, in a Western mountain range, and on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The four men portrayed here have different relationships to their environment, and they encounter each other on mountain trails, in forests and rapids, sometimes with reserve, sometimes with friendliness, sometimes fighting hard across a philosophical divide. 256pp





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