Four Corners Monument

While working at the Grand Canyon I had plenty of opportunities to visit travel destinations in the neighboring Navajo Nation. Most of my coworkers at the Grand Canyon were Hopi, Apache and Navajo people. Working with these people led to many friendships and good conversations. When I mentioned that I publish Southwestern travel articles, my friends at the Grand Canyon always had plenty of good suggestions for interesting sights to see in the reservation, which covers a vast territory in eastern Arizona and New Mexico. 

The Navajo Nation is a sovereign territory and it should be respected as such. There are many customs that a tourist should be aware of when touring this vast expanse. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on the reservation. Littering or defacing the land can be relegated as being a high crime by the tribal police. There are some sacred sites and old communities that allow no picture taking without permission. The entire reservation is in the Mountain Time Zone, not the Arizona Time Zone, so be prepared to adjust your clock. Tipping or making a purchase out of gratitude is expected in many tourism areas, especially if services were provided. Best of all, there are no taxes, so the dollar can be stretched a little farther.

The Four Corners Monument access road actually is in New Mexico. This destination is a Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department fee area, but there is a sigh of relief to be had. The price of admission is a real bargain and the income generated helps to fund construction of new facilities at this site, which are underway at this time.  

Once the car is parked and the passengers step out to take a look around, it is then that the full effect of the majestic scenery of this region can be fathomed. The Four Corners Monument offers unobstructed panoramic views of the landscape for hundreds of miles around. The snow capped mountains and even the towering Shiprock landmark can be seen in the distance. This is truly a place where eagles soar high in the sky!

The Four Corners Monument Marker is set in an amphitheater that is surrounded by flags representing the Native American Tribes along with the State Flags of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. A veranda with Navajo artisan shops also surrounds the Four Corners Marker in the center of the amphitheater. There are many nifty items for sale and unique hand crafted works of tribal art in the shops. I purchased a hand carved onyx scorpion memento while I was there, which looks rather nifty.

There always seems to be a cool mountain breeze in this serene wilderness area and that inspires folks to relax and lounge about. This is a great place for a social gathering or a picnic and some local native snack food is available at the concession stands. For those who want to spend some time in this area, campsites are located by the San Juan River just a little ways down the road in Colorado.

The Four Corners Marker is where the square corner borders of four big western states meet. Visitors can literally be in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all at one time. Needless to say, this creates a unique picture taking opportunity! Many folks pose for the picture by planting their feet in two states, then putting their hands in each of the remaining two states, with their belly arched over the X mark on the ground. There are many more popular poses and those with selfie sticks really have a way of hogging the show. Watching all the picture taking that is going on at the Four Corners Marker actually is kind of entertaining! The amphitheater shaped monument area guarantees that those who pose for a picture will have an audience at Four Corners! 

The Four Corners Monument is a good reference point when traveling in this region. Having a good sense of direction will save many miles of backtracking, because the road signs tend to be few and far between. No matter which direction one goes when leaving Four Corners, there is plenty to see and do close by. Canyon De Chelly, Shiprock, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Hovenweep, Ute Mountain, Chaco Canyon and the Canyon Of The Ancients are all in the Four Corners region.  

Taking a drive to the Four Corners Monument is well worth recommending for visitors of the Southwest. The beautiful scenery alone makes this trip worth chalking up on the lifetime travel destination list and this area is one of the best places in the west to view wild horses. The Four Corners Monument is not only a place where four states meet, it is also a state of mind. This is a nice place to learn a little something from some friendly cultural exchange, while enjoying what Navajo Tourism has to offer!