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Vasey's Paradise, Colorado River, Arizona
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Vasey's Paradise also known as "Vaseys Paradise", is an oasis approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) below the Mile 30 Sand Baron the Colorado River in Arizona.
On August 9, 1869 the 1st Powell Expedition passed by a spring gushing from the wall of the canyon, which they named Vasey's Paradise.
"We passed a beautiful cascade today, but the rapids were so furious, and the walls so nearly vertical, we could not stop to examine it. To me, it was the prettiest sight of the whole trip. The green ferns around it formed a pleasing contrast with the unending barrenness of the canyon." - George Young Bradley
"Riding down a short distance, a beautiful view is presented. The river turns sharply to the east and seems enclosed by a wall set with a million brilliant gems. What can it mean? Every eye is engaged, everyone wonders. On coming nearer we find fountains bursting from the rock high overhead, and the spray in the sunshine forms the gems which bedeck the wall. The rocks below the fountain are covered with mosses and ferns and many beautiful flowering plants. We name it Vasey's Paradise, in honor of the botanist who traveled with us last year."
In a semi-desert region it supports dense vegetation watered by waterfalls emanating from groundwater emerging from the upper cliff faces. The area hosts a federally listed endangered species of snail (Kanab ambersnail) and is a highly sensitive habitat. It is within the Grand Canyon National Park.
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