Mexican Hat Rock

© Christine Till... more

by Alexandra Till

Title

Mexican Hat Rock

Artist

Alexandra Till

Medium

Photograph - Photographs - Prints - Digital Images - Cards - Posters - Photo-calendars - Photo Art

Description

© Christine Till
Mexican Hat, near the Four Corners in between Monument Valley and Bluff, Utah, is named after a geological marvel of erosion. The persistent sands, wind, and water of time have sculpted the sandstone of the Mexican Hat Rock into what it is today. Sombrero, the Spanish word for the Mexican Hat was too difficult to spell, so Mexican Hat's well read town founders stuck to their guns on the English version of the word.

The surrounding scenery is exceptional. The Navajo Tapestry - wavy geometric colors in the rock strata - makes a colorful backdrop to the desert landscape, featuring 1,200 foot sandstone cliffs at the edge of Cedar Mesa, deep, layered canyons of the San Juan River, vast sandy desert plains, and a wide valley studded with isolated red rock buttes and mesas. The greenery along the water's edge contrasts vividly with the swirling reds and grays of the canyon walls.

The Navajo Indian Reservation lies on the other side of the river, and a major portion of Mexican Hat's population is Native American. Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods are nearby scenic attractions. The Arizona border is about ten miles to the south as the crow flies, but much further by road.

Uploaded

September 18th, 2013