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Explore the Cliff Dwellers in Marble Canyon

Marble Canyon, Arizona

4.0/5
based on 3 reviews

Details

Distance

0.5 miles

Elevation Gain

0 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Dan Deublein

Meet the Cliff Dwellers! This unique tale began with a broken down car. After one night, they decided to build their own trading post and setup a permanent residence!  

The Cliff Dwellers is a unique tale that takes place the same year Prohibition began. Bill & Blanche Russel were driving through Marble Canyon when their automobile broke down. After several attempts to fix it, they found themselves camping overnight. 

As the sun rose the next day, they ironically found themselves drawn to the natural beauty of the desert. At this point, they built a roadside trading post out of rocks next to a fallen boulder. The original structure remains to this day. 

To reach the Cliff Dwellers ruins, it is located on Highway 89A near the Cliff Dwellers Lodge. The coordinates to the structure are:

36.746499, -111.750968

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Scenic

Explore the Cliff Dwellers in Marble Canyon Reviews

Definitely great to stop if you’re passing through, don’t go out of your way though it’s not a whole lot. It’s A great spot to stop for lunch, but if you’re not stopping for that you can be in and out in 10 minutes.

This is a fun stop right off the highway near Marble canyon. The rock houses are fun to explore and photograph.

Cliff Dwellers is a pretty cool stop right off Highway 89A. There are massive boulders all around the area that look like they fell from Marble Canyon. Decent stop to stretch your legs and use a port-o-potty if you're heading farther north toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon or South toward Page. It also helps break up the monotony of the barren desert you feel like you're endlessly driving through.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

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