Bucket List: White Pocket in the Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona
When one thinks of visiting Arizona, one may not realize that there is a hidden gem to visit, the White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs. When I was a kid, someone told me he thought Arizona was full of cowboys and Indians as he thought living in the desert was a part of the wild west.
Well, an old friend was partially right. We do have them, and we do live in the west, but that is not what all of Arizona is about. The Vermilion Cliffs is an area near the border of Arizona and Utah, with vast opportunities to explore and be in awe of the beauty you see. Slot canyons to make you feel like you are in the middle of the movie, Gulliver's Travels, landscape that resembles walking on the moon, camping, hiking, 4 wheeling opportunities to keep you busy for quite some time!
One area of the Vermilion Cliffs I would like to talk about is White Pocket. White Pocket is an area that will mesmerize you with its beautiful white sandstone, in the middle of a desert. We went on a day that was particularly cool, and a little cloudy. Every time we go somewhere to do a lot of driving, I always pray for good weather as I don't want to get caught in a storm on a non-paved road! This is a 4 wheel drive road only, and here are some things to make sure you have or do:
A working 4 wheel drive vehicle. I can not stress enough how important this is! It will help to make the trip more enjoyable and able to finish it without a tow truck.
A good map. We used a map to help us. I will be honest and say at times we were confused and even backtracked to see if we missed a turn, but we did accomplish the drive with this map.
Ample water, oil, tools.
Provisions for food and clothing. You never know if the weather may change and you would appreciate a nice warm jacket!
Air down your tires! We usually air ours down to 20 psi. Even though we drove through sand, airing down your tires will help the ride be much smoother and easier for your vehicle to drive on whatever surface you may encounter.
Since we were staying at Kanab, access was easy. We drove on highway 89 until House Rock Valley Road, and proceeded south. It is dirt right from the start, and there is a pull out area where you can air down. Once we got done with our tires, we were on our way. It had rained or snowed recently (really? In March?), so the ground was a little moist, but not flooded. As you are driving notice the scenery all around you. If you are into geology, the Vermilion Cliffs will definitely satisfy your geological taste!
There are layers of rocks that are made of sandstone and limestone and more. Over many years, these rocks have eroded, bringing us the variety of mountain top views you see, such as mesas, buttes and table lands. The dirt road is easy at this point, so enjoy yourself as you are driving to your turn off. We took road 1079 toward White Pocket. The clouds had gathered, but we decided to go for it as it didn't look like rain, just some puffy clouds. It was a soft, gentle road to start. The scenery around was desert looking, with splotches of green bushes here and there. We gently rolled up the hills, and subsequently rolled down those same hills. Sometimes, the sand would take a grip of our tires and move it off the path a bit. Sandy areas can at times be a challenge to drive, but it is a matter of taking control the steering wheel and going with the flow.
We came across a debilitated set of buildings, called Poverty Flat Ranch. Setting out to investigate these buildings, we walked around the area, questioning the purpose of those buildings. It was a good area to stretch our legs and breathe in the cool, crisp air. As we moved on, we then took road 1084. We were getting anxious to see the White Pocket. It seemed like a long drive of endless desert, with the exception of Poverty Flat Ranch, so getting to our destination was something we couldn't wait to get to. Do you get anxious on your offroad trips? One thing that would be a good idea to do is to keep track of the miles you have driven using your odometer or a favorite app just for this. Sometimes, the signs are not there, the road is, but not the signs. Of course, there could be other roads nearby, so if you have a tracking device, that would be very advantageous. Another turn was coming up, road 1323. I knew we were getting closer, but honestly, I just wanted to be there now. Bumping around in a truck for some time was proving to getting me a little sore and I wanted to get outside again to walk. We just had one more road to turn on: road 1086. Surely the place is coming soon!
I started to see white. Not clouds, or the pearly gates of heaven. But I did see some white rock formations. It was unusual to see white in nothing but a brown desert. My heart started to pitter patter as my excitement started to mount. The white rock seemed to jut from the ground toward the sky. It was like a circle of white as we were approaching.
The walk to the White Pocket was a sandy one, and I walked as quickly as I could to see this unusual rock formation. My first question is: how was this made? Right here in the middle of the desert? I walked around, camera in hand, and took several (and I mean several!) photos of this beautiful place!
The whites turn into oranges and reds, swirling around the rocks like when you frost a cake and make those swirls to pretty up the cake. As you walk in this amazing area, the rocks almost looked wrinkled, like they are aged, with lines and cracks along each rock. There was still water from a previous rain, which made amazing photos for me. I can see why it is called White Pocket: It is like a giant pocket collecting and holding rain until it is dried up, with some shrubbery to remind us we are on earth, not on the moon. The White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs is a place that should be on your bucket list for your visit to Arizona. With the Grand Canyon nearby, you will have plenty to do on your next vacation, plenty to see, and plenty to brag about to your friends when you return home.