You can see seven states from Rock City, Tennessee, but you can only sit or stand in four states at the same time at the Four Corners Monument. This historic monument lies far away from any towns or cities: the point at which New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet in the middle of Navajo country. This monument site, managed by the Navajo Nation, acts as a tourist area of the historical American West.
The Four Corners Monument location is the only place in the United States where four states meet at right angles. The National Geological Survey has answered media reports that the monument lies 2.5 miles off location. The NGS indicates that the location is correct, with a historical review of the 1875 survey. The National Spatial Reference System uses the monument for surveyors and engineers for demarcation lines. Construction of the monument complex took place in 1992 and 2010 saw refurbishing of the monument area. A Visitor Center--open all year--includes a demonstration area for native crafts and handmade jewelry.
Shiprock, New Mexico likes 33 miles from the Four Corners monument, so named for the nearby Shiprock rock formation. This area of northwest New Mexico was volcanic, according to Emporia University, and it retains extinct volcano features from eruption an estimated 30 million years ago. Aztec Ruins National Monument lies near Farmington in this same area. Chaco National Park lies south on the way to El Malpais National Monument (Spanish for badlands).
Bluff, Utah lies 65 miles from Four Corners Monument in the southeast corner of the state: near Moab to the north and Lake Powell to the west. Two other national monuments appear in the area--Hovenweep and Natural Bridges--as do two national parks--Canyonlands and Arches. Mexican Hat--a natural rock formation and the location of a small town on U.S. Highway 163--also lies nearby.
The Four Corners area of Colorado lies in the southwest corner of the state. Cortez stands 40 miles from Four Corners Monument, and close to Mesa Verde National Park. Telluride, Durango and Silverton all lie within a day’s drive. This is uncommon land, with red rock formations, deep canyons and high pinnacles.
The northeast corner of Arizona touches the cornerstone of Four Corners Monument; the area belongs to the Navajo. Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly National Monument and Kayenta, Arizona all lie nearby. Kayenta sits about 77 miles from the monument, Petrified Forest National Park lies near Holbrook to the south, and Page is on Lake Powell to the west. Trading posts and shops along the way feature Navajo crafts.
