Let me be upfront and honest: Four Corners isn’t really on the way to anything. If you want to visit the famous landmark, you have to commit to driving into the middle of nowhere: there’s no major city anywhere close by, no public transportation option, and no services in the vicinity. For many, visiting Four Corners is a pipe dream. Something that you talk about “someday” visiting, but change the subject without making any tentative plans. Like most of the American Southwest during the 1800s, only the most determined and adventurous will actually make it to the monument.
So what is Four Corners?
Four Corners is the only place in the United States where four states meet together: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Since the early 1900s, people have been visiting this location to literally be in four places at once. In 1912, a cement block was laid into the ground, marking the exact meeting spot. An actual monument was built at the location and is currently maintained by the Navajo Nation, as it resides within their land.
The monument is surrounded by a demonstration area and vendor stalls. Each state has a raised platform leading up to the inlaid medallion, indicating the meeting spot, and will allow for better photo angles. Vendors from the Navajo Nation can set up shop in one of the vendor stalls and sell t-shirts, jewelry, art, blankets, and everything in between. It was a fun wakeup call when I approached a vendor and he welcomed me to Arizona!
In the middle of the center is an inlaid marker, indicating the exact meeting spot. It’s so much fun to watch everyone take a variety of pictures: groups where each person is in a different state, a dog straddling all four states with his paws, people lying down across all states like I did, you name it. Enjoy the touristy nature of it all and let loose your inner geek!
Getting to Four Corners
Since Four Corners is so isolated in a barren part of the United States, most visitors loop in a visit in a greater “American Southwest” itinerary, including Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. Yeah, I’m not that person. I left Salt Lake City before sunrise and beelined it to the Four Corners monument! If you’re not as crazy as I am, there are a few lodging options around Monument Valley, Bluff, Utah, and Mexican Hat, Utah. I personally stayed in Monticello, Utah, just a few hours north of Monument Valley. Interested in camping or driving an RV? There are plenty of options, waiting at the ready of your Google search.
There’s no real straight-shot, direct route to get to the Four Corners monument. I used my GPS on my iPhone and it led me directly to the spot without issues. Being in the middle of nowhere, I took the extra precaution of taking some screen-shots of my map, just in case reception dropped. And don’t worry, there will be signs directing you as you get close to the monument!
Amenities
Many people confuse Four Corners monument with a State Park. Be warned: it’s not. The monument is maintained by the Navajo Nation and their funding is not on par with any government agency…and neither are their amenities. The restrooms are similar to those you’d find at a popular trailhead: four walls surrounding a hole in the ground. There are a few stalls outside of the monument selling Navajo Tacos and water. The parking lot is a patch of hard-packed dirt. If you are in need of ADA-approved facilities, make sure your wheelchair has off-roading tires: the journey to the monument can be a little bumpy. My recommendation: don’t arrive hungry.
Things to remember
*When traveling to the Four Corners monument, remember that it lies within Navajo land, which is a sovereign nation with its own laws and customs. Alcohol and firearms are not permitted on the land, and you must ask for permission before photographing a member of the Navajo Nation. And while Navajo is spoken by the members of the Navajo Nation, most speak English as well. Bottom line: just be courteous.
*Since there isn’t a gas station for miles surrounding the Four Corners monument, top off during your drive. And similar to driving through the Australian Outback, make sure your car is in good working order before setting out. I didn’t pass any mechanics on my way out.
*If you need ADA accessible walkways, getting from the parking lot to the monument might present a little challenge. The restrooms are also a little bumpy to get to, so make sure you have someone with you that can assist.
*There is a small nominal fee to enter the monument, about $5 a person, plus a little more for a vehicle. For me, traveling solo, I paid $10.
But wait…isn’t it in the wrong spot?
Articles have been buzzing around social media a lot for the last little while, indicating that the monument is in the wrong location. And while I take such articles and social media flutter with a grain of salt, my curiosity was piqued and the historian kicked in. Here’s your complimentary brief history lesson for the day. See if you can stick with me…
1863 – An Act of Congress, as signed by President Abraham Lincoln, separated Arizona from New Mexico along one of the Washington Meridians, which was located at 77 degrees 03 minutes West (rounded up)
1875 – Chandler Robbins was contracted as a surveyor by the U.S. General Land Office (the Bureau of Land Management’s predecessor) and tasked with surveying the lands of Arizona and New Mexico, between the Mexican border up to the 37th parallel latitude north of the Equator. He was also tasked with establishing the northern terminus, which led to the location for the Four Corners monument.
Combining the 1863 Act of Congress along with the Washington Meridians, taking into account the Greenwich standard, Robbins correctly established the Four Corners location at a longitude of 109 degrees 03 minutes West.
Reports indicated that the meeting point is actually at 109 degrees West, claiming that the monument was about 2.5 miles off. This is not the case. In a letter dated November 1, 1875, Robbins penned a note to the editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican, a local newspaper still in circulation today, with the following:
It seems to have been the general impression that the line was the 109 degrees of longitude west of Greenwich. Such is not the case, as the law makes it 32 degrees of longitude west from Washington, which corresponds to 109 degrees 02 minutes 59.25 seconds west from Greenwich, and which places the line a small fraction less than three miles farther west than would have been the case if it had been run as the 109 degrees of longitude.
Clear as mud? Lost ya, did I? Check out this article from the National Geodetic Survey that goes into a little more detail.
My experience
I had an awesome time finally seeing Four Corners for myself. It’s one of those places that is just so hard to get to, even if you’ve lived in one of the four states. The drive was so beautiful, the Navajo people that I interacted with were warm, welcoming, and genuine. I have a weird love of the desert, so being in the middle of nowhere with a clear sky and full tank of gas is thrilling for me. I’d heard people say that Four Corners isn’t really worth a visit. That it’s just a little stand out in the middle of the desert and ghetto. Since I’m not really one to follow the crowd and choose to follow my own travel dreams, I brushed off the comments and arrived at the monument eager to experience it. And while there’s not much to be “entertained” by, I still had an educational and enjoyable time. I highly recommend a visit!
Have you ever been to Four Corners before? Would you drive into the middle of nowhere for an awesome experience?
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