House Rock, Arizona

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House Rock, Arizona
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House Rock
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House Rock
Coordinates: 36°43′53″N112°02′49″W / 36.73139°N 112.04694°W / 36.73139; -112.04694 Coordinates: 36°43′53″N112°02′49″W / 36.73139°N 112.04694°W / 36.73139; -112.04694
Country United States
State Arizona
County Coconino
Elevation
5,390 ft (1,640 m)
Time zone UTC-7 (MST (no DST))
ZIP code
86036
Area code(s) 928
GNIS feature ID6055 [1]

House Rock is a ghost town near the northwest end of the House Rock Valley in northern Coconino County, Arizona, United States. [1] The community was named after the House Rock Valley, which was named by the John Wesley Powell Expedition in 1871. [2] (However, the site where the expedition spent the night and the community are on the opposite ends of the valley.)

Contents

Description

The mostly abandoned locale is just east of the Kaibab National Forest and the mouth of House Rock Canyon [3] at the southwest corner of, but just outside of, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (which was established in 2000). [4] House Rock is located along what was, prior to 1960, U.S. Route 89 (US 89), but is now U.S. Route 89A (US 89A). Little remains of the community, other than a few houses and a small cemetery, [5] [6] but the site is an important road junction for access to the nearby national monument, being the southern terminus of House Rock Road (BLM Road 1065). Since the monument is surrounded on the north, east, and south sides by the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area, the only possible road access is from the west. House Rock Road runs (for about 30 miles [48 km]) along the western edge of the monument, north from House Rock, through the length of the Coyote Valley, [7] to end at US‑89 at the southern end of Five Mile Valley [8] in Kane County, Utah. [9] (The northernmost 9 miles [14 km] of the road, north of the Utah State line, the road is also known as House Rock Valley Road.)

History

Not much information is available regarding specific history of House Rock, but it did begin appear on maps produced by the United States Geological Survey as early as 1936. [10] With the construction of US 89 in the early 20th century, it would likely have been a somewhat significant location, since the nearest communities along US 89 were Jacob Lake (about 14 miles [23 km] to the west) and Cliff Dwellers Lodge [11] (about 20 miles [32 km] to the east) – that later community of which is sometimes confused with House Rock.

One of the houses in House Rock was featured in the February 2014 edition of Arizona Highways . [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

Coconino County, Arizona County in Arizona, United States

Coconino County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 134,421 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from Cohonino, a name applied to the Havasupai. It is the second-largest county by area in the contiguous United States, behind San Bernardino County, California, with its 18,661 sq mi (48,300 km2), or 16.4% of Arizona's total area, making it larger than each of the nine smallest states.

Yavapai County, Arizona County in Arizona, United States

Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 211,073. The county seat is Prescott.

Sedona, Arizona City in Coconino and Yavapai Counties, Arizona, US

Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It lies within the Coconino National Forest.

Wupatki National Monument Protected area in Coconino County, Arizona

The Wupatki National Monument is a United States National Monument located in north-central Arizona, near Flagstaff. Rich in Native American archaeological sites, the monument is administered by the National Park Service in close conjunction with the nearby Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Wupatki was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. The listing included three contributing buildings and 29 contributing structures on 35,422 acres (14,335 ha).

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is a 112,500 acres (455 km2) wilderness area located in northern Arizona and southern Utah, United States, within the arid Colorado Plateau region. The wilderness is composed of broad plateaus, tall escarpments, and deep canyons.

Wrather Arch Geologic feature in Coconino County, Arizona

Wrather Arch is a cave type natural arch in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, in Coconino County, northern Arizona.

Buckskin Gulch Canyon in Utah, United States

Buckskin Gulch is a gulch and slot canyon in southern Kane County, Utah, United States, near the Arizona border. It is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River, which is itself a minor tributary of the Colorado River. At over 13 miles (21 km) long, Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwestern United States, making it a major attraction for hikers and canyoneers that receives a high amount of foot traffic.

Coyote Buttes

Coyote Buttes is a section of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), spanning extreme south-central Utah and north-central Arizona, south of US 89 halfway between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. It is divided into two areas: Coyote Buttes North and Coyote Buttes South. Visiting either of the Coyote Buttes areas requires purchasing a hiking permit.

The Wave (Arizona) Rock formation in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona, United States

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in Arizona, United States, near its northern border with Utah. The formation is situated on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. The area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument visitor center in Kanab, Utah.

Wire Pass Trailhead Trailhead in Kane County, Utah, United States

Wire Pass Trailhead is the gateway to some spectacular scenery and hiking, including The Wave and Buckskin Gulch. The trailhead is located in Paria Canyon–Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area of southern Utah and northern Arizona, about halfway between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona. Located about 8.3 miles (13.4 km) south of US 89 along House Rock Valley Road on the Utah side of the Utah–Arizona border in Utah, the road is normally accessible in a passenger vehicle, though the dirt road turns slick and muddy with rain.

Arizona Strip Part of Arizona north of the Colorado River

The Arizona Strip is the part of Arizona lying north of the Colorado River. The difficulty of crossing the Grand Canyon causes this region to have more physical and cultural connections with southern Utah and Nevada than with the rest of Arizona. The largest settlements in the Strip are Colorado City, Fredonia, and Beaver Dam, with its surrounding communities of Scenic, Littlefield and Desert Springs.

Vermilion Cliffs

The Vermilion Cliffs are the second "step" up in the five-step Grand Staircase of the Colorado Plateau, in northern Arizona and southern Utah. They extend west from near Page, Arizona, for a considerable distance, in both Arizona and Utah.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Protected area in Coconino County, Arizona

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is located in northern Coconino County, Arizona, United States, immediately south of the Utah state line. This national monument, 293,689 acres (118,852 ha) in area, protects the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations in the monument range from 3,100 feet to 6,500 feet above sea level.

Oak Creek Canyon

Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (21 km) until the highway enters the town of Sedona.

Jacob Lake, Arizona Unincorporated community in Arizona

Jacob Lake is a small unincorporated community on the Kaibab Plateau in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, at the junction of U.S. Route 89A and State Route 67. Named after the Mormon explorer Jacob Hamblin, the town is known as the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon" because it is the starting point of Route 67, the only paved road leading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon some 44 miles (71 km) to the south. The town itself consists of the Jacob Lake Inn which maintains motel rooms and cabins, a restaurant, lunch counter, gift shop, bakery, and general store; a gas station/garage; campground; and a visitors center run by the U.S. Forest Service. In the summer months, there is also a nearby center for horse rides.

Buckskin Mountain (Arizona-Utah)

Buckskin Mountain is a 16-mile (26 km) mountain ridge that spans from Coconino County, Arizona to Kane County, Utah in the United States, that is divided almost equally between the two counties.

Echo Cliffs

The Echo Cliffs is a prominent monocline in northern Arizona that runs for 70 miles (110 km) in a north-south direction, within the Navajo Nation and Coconino County, in northern Arizona. It is to the east of Grand Canyon National Park.

Walnut Creek (Arizona) Stream in Coconino County, Arizona

Walnut Creek is a major stream in Coconino County, Arizona that is part of the Little Colorado River drainage basin. The creek flows about 34 miles (55 km) in a northeasterly direction from south of Flagstaff to near Winona.

House Rock Valley Valley in Coconino County, Arizona, United States

House Rock Valley is a valley on Paria Plateau, north of the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County, Arizona, United States The valley was named by the John Wesley Powell Expedition after a rock formation in the valley where they spent the night in 1871. It is traversed by a highway that is currently designated as U.S. Route 89A.

Cathedral Rock (Coconino County, Arizona)

Cathedral Rock is a 3,942-foot-elevation (1,202 m) pillar located within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, in Coconino County of northern Arizona. It is situated less than one mile northwest of Navajo Bridge, and three miles (4.8 km) southwest of Lee's Ferry and the confluence of the Paria and Colorado Rivers, where it towers over 400 feet (120 m) above the surrounding terrain as a landmark of the area. It can be seen from nearby U.S. Route 89A (US 89A) at Marble Canyon. This geographical feature's name was bestowed prior to 1900, and officially adopted in 1969 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: House Rock
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: House Rock Valley
  3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: House Rock Canyon
  4. "Proclamation 7374 – Vermilion Cliffs National Monument" (PDF). United States Statutes at Large, volume 114, page 3422. United States Government Printing Office. November 10, 2000. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  5. "Arizona Memory Project: House Rock Cemetery". azmemory.azlibrary.gov. State of Arizona. October 20, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  6. "MyTopo Maps – House Rock, House Rock, Coconino, Arizona" (Map). mytopo.com. Trimble Navigation, Ltd. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Coyote Valley
  8. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Five Mile Valley
  9. Austin, Austin (August 2018). "House Rock Valley Road: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona Strip". arizonahighway.com. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Department of Transportation . Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  10. "Jacobs Lake" (JPEG) (Map). ngmdb.usgs.gov. 1:4800. United States Geological Survey. 1936. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cliff Dwellers Lodge
  12. Kraklio, Kirsten (March 6, 2014). "Q&A: Artist Whose Isolated House Appears in Our February Issue". arizonahighways.wordpress.com. Arizona Highways . Retrieved June 4, 2020.

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