Access to Shiprock

As part of a trip to Colorado in September I'd like to photograph

Shiprock. The Delorme atlas shows a lot of little roads in the area,

and I wondered whether these are all freely accessible to visitors

given the site's significance to the Navajo?

 

Also does anyone have any advice on photogenic viewpoints?

 

Thanks.

Look up Farmington,NM on the internet. You can get quite close to the rock, as I remember, though you cannot climb it.

 

Alex

The legality of climbing it is vacilating, but it is listed as one

of the "Fifty Classic climbs on North America". It's really

a very tall structure, so getting close enough for a good view

is not a problem. Tuan <a href = "http://www.terragalleria.com/

parks">National Parks photos</a>

David - The rock, (which you can see for about 1/2 hr before you get to it, is pretty accessable and photogenic from several different angles. The textures look much better in the morning and evening light. Of course, that gives you midday to spend at the local casino - NM/CO line.

 

Don't pass up the opportunity to visit 4 Corners, though. It's easy to get to, and is quite a popular site.

 

All the roads into the Farmington/Shiprock/Four Corners area from Colorado are just fine. Don't plan on being in a hurry, though - on the reservation, the traffic is never in a hurry (yawn).

 

It's a really facinating area. Have fun. BTW - Anywhere around the reservation, the pawnshops are really good places to shop.

David,

 

I shot Shiprock early this year. I got to the area about an hour before sunrise and started driving the dirt roads to get close. I actually wanted to shoot it from near the base with a fisheye. But by the time the sun was coming up, I was still about a half mile away, on a bench kinda looking down. I could see there were roads that got me closer, it was just a matter of having the time to find them. They were extremely rough and didn't always go the direction I thought they would. No one bothered me about being near the formation and I don't think that would be a problem. It is a beautiful 'rock' and there are other ones in the area also.

 

Dave

Can't help about Shiprock but if you're going to be near Farmington,NM then you really need to take the time to see Aztec Ruins and possibly even Salmon Ruins - Aztec has a wonderful reconstructed 'great kiva' that is very cool place to shoot.

Is a permit required to travel near Shiprock, as it is on Navajo land?

Thank you to all those who have answered so far. Phil Goble's question is interesting, and I suppose I'm just drawing parallels with places like Monument Valley where you most often can't get beyond a parking lot pre dawn/for sunset and even then certain parts of the landscape are just off limits/ accessible only with a guide. Do I take it that Shiprock isn't like that at all?

 

Thanks

There appear to be no restrictions on accessing/photographing Shiprock. There are volcanic ridges leading to the rock itself on three sides. The biggest and most impressive of these leads north/south on the south side of the rock. After some experiment , I believe the best place to photograph is at/just after dawn from south of the Rock, just to the east of the volcanic ridge which lights nicely. Just pull off the metalled road as if to drive close to the rock and set up after maybe 50 yards. We saw no benefit from getting closer or indeed from climbing the ridge. We didn't see another person until passing through the town of Shiprock.