Four Corners

Related items:
Area Info
Tips on Travel
Monument Valley
Navajo Culture
The Old West
Area Photo Tour

The Four Corners is the only place in the United States where four states come together at one place. Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet at the Four Corners. Here a person can put each of their hands and feet in four states at the same time. The unique landmark is on Navajo Nation land and is open for visits from the public.

The Four Corners Monument was originally surveyed and established by the US Government Surveyors and Astronomers in 1868 with the survey of Colorado's southern boundary. Surveys followed of New Mexico's west boundary and Utah's east boundary in 1878. The northern boundary of Arizona was surveyed in 1901. A small permanent marker was erected in 1912 where the boundaries of the four states intersected. The Monument was refurbished in 1992 with a bronze disk embedded in granite. Each of the state boundaries radiate from the disk and each state's seal rests within that state's boundary.

The Four Corners Monument is located west of US Highway 160, 40 miles southwest of Cortez, Colorado. The area surrounding the monument is Indian land which includes part of New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona and covers 25,000 square miles. Both the Navajo, or Dine, and Ute people live in the area surrounding the Four Corners Monument. Artisans and craftspeople from both Indian nations are represented at the monument. The area has been home to native peoples for hundreds of years. Archaeologists have recorded numerous ancient Puebloan sites dating prior to AD 1300 throughout the Four Corners area.

The Visitor Center is open year round. In the Demonstration Center, Navajo vendors sell handmade jewelry, crafts, and traditional foods. Picnic tables and restrooms are available. No water is available at the park. Services and accommodations within a 30-mile radius are limited to small cafes, grocery stores, and self-service gasoline stations. All amenities are available in larger communities in Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

The Four Corners Monument is administered by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department which can be reached by telephone at 928-871-6436. Park hours are from 7 am to 8 pm June through August and 8 am to 5 pm September through May. An entrance fee is charged and parking is available.