y on ▁walls ▁are ▁found ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁ancient ▁cl iff ▁dwell ings . ▁ ▁East ▁of ▁the ▁Little ▁Colorado ▁River ▁are ▁the ▁br illi antly ▁colored ▁areas ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁P aint ed ▁Des ert . ▁Here ▁the ▁rocks ▁show ▁g orge ous ▁colors ▁in ▁str ata ▁that ▁are ▁g ently ▁incl ined ▁and ▁present ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁cl iffs ▁that ▁are ▁slowly ▁migr ating ▁as ▁weather ing ▁and ▁er os ion ▁proceed . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁can y on ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Juan ▁River ▁has ▁several ▁surfaces ▁varying ▁from ▁ ▁above ▁sea ▁level . ▁There ▁are ▁bold ▁esc arp ments ▁border ing ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁plate aus , ▁can y ons ▁with ▁ste ep ▁walls , ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁mes as ▁called ▁the ▁T ables ▁of ▁the ▁Sun , ▁and ▁several ▁national ▁monuments ▁containing ▁natural ▁brid ges . ▁ ▁The ▁C any on ▁Land s ▁terminate , ▁approximately , ▁at ▁a ▁third , ▁inter mitt ent ▁bar rier ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁Par ia ▁Pl ate au , ▁Black ▁M esa , ▁and ▁the ▁Ch us ka ▁Mountains ▁mass . ▁ ▁Ge ology ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁dominant ▁physical ▁feature ▁within ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁the ▁San ▁Rafael ▁Sw ell ▁occup ying ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Em ery ▁County , ▁Ut ah . ▁This ▁feature ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁n ortheast ▁tr ending ▁up war p ▁approximately ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁wide ▁that ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁much ▁larger , ▁double - pl ung ing ▁ant ic line ▁( e . g