shiprock rock formation

This is an Iconic rock, which is located in the middle of the desert, that the city is named in honer of the rock. The Movie , the lone survivor, were shot around Shiprock, showing the views of the beauty and peace of the city. It also represent the Navajo people of the 4 States area, the reservations. There's also the notorious mystical Skin walkers, told by my friends, wandering aroudn the rock.

While driving from Gallup to Farmington, we couldn't help but cross paths with this geologic beauty. As the December sun was setting in the west, the colors cascaded on the rock that highlighted its magnificent natural beauty. Such a wonderous sight to see!

After several days of looking at rocks this one was a real treat. Don't know if you can get up close and walk around it but it was just neat to see along the way. It was one of my favorites.

Shiprock is north of Gallup on Highway 666, otherwise known as Devil's Highway. This purple butte rises out of multi-colored evening and early morning mists that is stunning when viewed from a higher perspective. When I lived in Tohatchi, a small town within the Navajo Reservation, it was a short, 20-minute drive north to catch another highway that allowed one to climb another 1,000 feet and look down over this high desert that was now over 9,000 ft. elevation. In the early morning and evening, from this higher elevation, the desert floor would disappear under a shroud of pinkish red, orange and pale yellow mist or fog. Only the purple colored buttes, like Shiprock, would be visible above the colored haze. The road I would take swung west and up from Highway 666 into the Chuska Mountain range.I lived in Tohatchi for three years and loved it's natural beauty and quiet, strong people. While I have checked that I visited Shiprock in 2013, I actually lived there in the mid 1980's.It is a great place for hiking especially if you have a dog. There are wild horses that roam the upper level and once you're up top, you'll come across a huge, gray butte that has vertical crevices marking the full face of it. Navajo legend has it that these crevices are the claw marks left by a giant bear. Coming back down and swinging north once more on Highway 666, you'll come into the very small town of Shiprock which is also known for the standoff that took place between members of the tribe and the police during the 1980's when AIM, the American Indian Movement, was in full swing.The natural and stunning beauty of this high desert area, along with the store of American history and beautiful craftsmanship found in the hand-crafted jewelry, pottery, and rugs make it a place worth traveling to and through, especially in the months of April and May when Spring creates a lush green panorama with numerous migrating waterfowl and desert flowers.Learn a bit of Navajo history before you go and bring a respectful attitude with you as the Navajo are the largest of the Native American tribes, yet one of the poorest, but they are highly recognized as having some of the best silversmiths, potters, and weavers among all the nations.The Chuska Mountains are their sacred mountains and it is where they will summer graze their flocks of sheep, so inquire before hiking just anywhere. It is also good to know that there are certain hot springs or ponds where the wool from the sheep is cleaned, so do not drink or bathe in these springs or ponds.

You can see Shiprock from thirty miles away and it is absolutely spectacular. Not sure you need to go out of your way to see this, but if you're passing through the area on your way to Monument Valley or South into New Mexico, you can't miss it. Our issue was, we were trying to find a way to get closer to the base of the rock and couldn't figure it out. We tried using navigation (Google and Apple Maps) and we just came up to roads or turnouts that were roped off or closed. There were some dirt roads but we didn't want to trespass on Navajo land without knowing what the guidelines were. So we ended up enjoying sunset over the rock from a good distance away, pulling over on the side of the main road heading north from Shiprock towards Kayenta. But it was magical, reminded me of something you would see in the movies.

By itself, it's a monster. But, once you start heading into Utah and Monument Valley, it's not that impressive in comparison. But, it was was pretty cool seeing it out there as a prelude of things to come. Heading west out of town, there is some great opportunities for some pics because there wasn't any traffic on that lonely road. A storm was a-brewing out over the horizon and we got some great shots. I will agree with others that there sure is a lot of beer and booze bottle on the side of the road along with other trash.

Well Shiprock is HUGE. In fact, we could see it all the way from Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado! It has an interesting shape and obviously stands out in New Mexicos' desert landscape. However, it didn't look like anything much is being done to keep the surrounding areas clean, which is a real pity. In my opinion, it is worth a visit only if it's on your way (We were traveling from Colorado to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona).

I have always wanted to see Shiprock with my own eyes and last week I was able to fulfill this desire of mine. The rock formation is massive, pictures just don't do it justice. There are many locations where you can stop and view it but that was not good enough for me, I had to drive out to it and get a closer look. There is a dirt road that parrallels a volcanic dike which runs out to the formation, which is not a difficult drive, especially if you have a vehicle with a little bit of ground clearance, and seeing it up close puts it in a whole new perspective.

Shiprock is an amazing site rising out of the desert floor. I was limited in time so did not venture all the way to the rock. I found the best way to get some pictures was to head south on Hwy 491 out of Shiprock, NM. You'll see the formation on your right. Stop at the first pull off for a few shots, then continue to head south of 491 to IR-13, about 5 minutes from town. There you'll see another pull off area. Beware there's a lot of glass from broken beer bottles. Sad, but true. It is here that I took the majority of my photographs.

Superb view of Shiprock formation to your south as you travel through the heart of Indian ountry. Near the 4 Corners monument and Canyon de Chelle park.

The path used after leaving the road is full of holes, rocks, trenches but worth the bouncing around to get there. Can climb to base of volcano but no higher. It is steep and has loose gravel. But the views are wonderful. And to know at sometime this was an active volcano and you are next to it is incredible. But use a truck or SUV.

The site is off the beaten path so if you want a close look as we did, you will need to navigate the various gravel paths out to the formation. Not recommended for low sitting vehicles and you really should have a 4x4. It is an impressive formation as it is visible even from Wetheral Mesa in the Mesa Verde National Park. Definitely worth a drive by if you are in the area.

If you spend enough time in the desert Southwest, you might become jaded, wondering if your allotted number of "oohs" and "aahs" might be exhausted. One monolith after another in spectacular progression. Yet I chose to view another in the early morning, having left Farmington on the way to Canyon de Chelly. As dawn's early light shown through, I headed down route 491, as guided by my gps. While the early morning view of Shiprock was impressive, I determined to find a closer encounter and to that end, turned right onto Indian HIghway 13, also known as Red Rock Highway. As I drove for a closer view, my gps decided that I must want this route and so recomputed my trip to Canyon de Chelly. After a nice close encounter with Shiprock, I continued on Red Rock Highway over the mountains into Arizona. As I ascended the mountains, I was treated to a view back East to the rising sun and Shiprock and other formations in silhouette against the red morning sky. Phenomenal! On the way back down the mountain into Arizona I was confronted with a 14% downgrade, a grade never before encountered(most mountain grades are no worse than 8%)

Visible for miles in all directions. You can get close enough to take a look, but not to close (sacred Native American land) Highways in the area are terrible.

We were lucky to see this formation first at sunrise and later that afternoon with the sun overhead. This formation stands alone on the landscape making it an awesome sight! You can get your fantastic photos right from your vehicle while driving on US 64. Go see it for yourself!