Shiprock is a huge monolithic landform in the high desert of New Mexico. It is the remnant of a volcano that erupted 30 million years ago. The main part of the formation is 1970 ft /600 m high and 1640 ft /500 m in diameter. A striking feature of this ancient volcanic formation are the “dikes” or wall-like sheets of lava that radiate away from the central neck.
Shiprock is governed by the Navajo Nation and it plays a significant role in their religion, myths and traditions. The Navajo name for the peak is Tsé Bitʼaʼí or 'winged rock'. It refers to the legend of a great bird that brought the Navajo from the north to their present lands.
Tags: shiprock new mexico USA Geology rock formations Scenic high desert Navajo Nation YBS24Nature
© All Rights Reserved
Petroglyphs are pre-historic rock carvings made on a rock surface using a hammerstone and a stone chisel. When the weathered surface of the rock was chipped away, the lighter rock underneath was exposed, creating the drawing. It is believed that the majority of the petroglyphs in the southwest United States were carved from about 1300 through the late 1600s.
Tags: petroglyphs rock art stone age paleolithic neolithic southwest Arizona new mexico puebloan culture native American prehistoric Petroglyph National Monument Petrified Forest National Park
© All Rights Reserved
Shiprock is a huge monolithic rock formation standing alone on the high-desert plain of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, USA. The elevation at its highest point is 7,177 feet (2,187 m) above sea level. The name derives from the peak's resemblance to an enormous 19th-century clipper ship.
The peak is governed by the Navajo Nation and it plays a significant role in Navajo religion, myth, and tradition. It is located in the center of an area occupied by the Ancient Pueblo People, a prehistoric Native American culture of the Southwest United States often referred to as the Anasazi. It is a point of interest for rock climbers and photographers and has been featured in several films and novels. In 1975, Shiprock was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Tags: Mountains new mexico shiprock rock formations Geology southwest iconic desert amazing American Southwest peak volcanic igneous
© All Rights Reserved
Dead Horse Point State Park provides a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. It covers 5,362 acres of high desert at an altitude of 5,900 ft, (1,800 m) The viewing overlook area is 2,000 feet (61 m) above the Colorado River, where a beautiful, ever-changing landscape can be seen.
Tags: Dead Horse Point moab Utah USA American Southwest Geology canyonlands national park dead horse point state park colorado river scenic beautiful
© All Rights Reserved
Factory Butte is a striking, cathedral-like sandstone peak in south central Utah, surrounded by a barren moonscape of grey shale formations known as the Upper Blue Hills. It was named Factory Butte in the late 1800’s by pioneer settlers who thought its outline resembled the Provo Woolen Mill. The surrounding landscape is equally otherworldly. It feels as though you’re exploring another planet, and for good reason; if you go, you’re likely to be the only one there.
Tags: Factory Butte utah usa USA national parks Geology Scenic sandstone southwest American Southwest geologic remote desert
© All Rights Reserved