Grand Wash Cliffs

The Grand Wash Cliffs are a prominent escarpment in northwestern Arizona that marks a major topographic break between the Basin and Range province and the Colorado Plateau. The cliffs form a continuous rocky face visible for long distances and are a defining landscape feature near Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon-Parashant area.

The cliffs offer long, linear exposures of layered sedimentary rock and steep drop-offs that are visible from roadside pullouts and overlooks within adjacent protected areas. Much of the best viewing is along backcountry roads and designated wilderness areas where the cliff face and associated canyons can be seen uninterrupted for many miles.

The escarpment is the product of regional uplift of the Colorado Plateau combined with faulting and erosion that exposed multiple sedimentary strata. The cliffs and surrounding lands have long been used by Indigenous peoples and later surveyed and managed by federal agencies as public land and wilderness.

Situated in northwestern Arizona, the cliffs run roughly north-south along the transition between Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon-Parashant region. The feature lies within remote public lands in Mohave County with the nearest small towns and access points reached by highway and unpaved roads.

• Access and remoteness: Much of the escarpment is remote and reached by unpaved roads or on foot; expect rough driving and limited services near trailheads.

What to See#

• Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness: A Bureau of Land Management wilderness area that includes stretches of the escarpment, side canyons and desert bajadas; managed for backcountry recreation and natural values.
• Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (cliff sections): Portions of the cliffs lie inside the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, where the escarpment forms part of the monument’s western edge and is visible from several primitive access routes.