Virgin
River Gorge in northeast Arizona near the Utah and Nevada borders
Just
after leaving St. George, you come to the State of Arizona. It
has the feel of more desert in this area than in the city of St.
George. I-15 continues on into the Virgin River Gorge which has
amazing rock formation and strata as you drive through. I can
remember driving the old Highway 91 that went further north and
through Santa Clara and all their fruit stands before coming into
St. George.
The trip was shortened quite a bit when the road
through the gorge was opened in 1973.
Just looking at the
canyons and mountains through the gorge will show you what a
tremendous job it must have been to build the road. (2010)
Just
Ahead (2010)
Following
I-15 South - almost to the Gorge
Officially
entering the Virgin River Gorge
Most
of these pictures speak for themselves - there is great beauty
here
Through
much of the gorge, they had to blast out opening for the road as
they did above. The job was so difficult and
expensive that
this stretch of interstate is said to be the most expensive ever
built - $100.00 per INCH! (2010)
The
strata goes on an angle most of the time, making you wonder if
the road is tilted or not
Breathtaking
Does
this one make you feel like you're going sideways?
In this part of the gorge, the canyon walls get closer and in some places it is just wide enough for the four lanes of road and the Virgin River
A
brief view of the river. You can't always see it from the road
The Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area is one of the few places you can stop in the gorge. The Cedar Pockets exit brings you to a campground where you can stay or hike or picnic. The day use area has 33 sites with shelters, grills, tables and restrooms. The camping area has 75 sites also with restrooms, tables and grills. There are other places to pull over for pictures for short hikes, but this is the only organized campground here.
The
gorge ends almost abruptly going from rough mountains to flat
desert very quickly.
We're
out and on our way to Nevada about 10 miles up the
road!
Littleton, Arizona is about 3 miles farther and is the
most remote town in Arizona.
There are no other roads in
Arizona that lead to Littleton.
