After passing the eroded mesas of Monument Valley, highway US 163 crosses 20 miles of rather flat landscape past scattered Navajo Indian houses to Mexican Hat, a small settlement named after a curious formation nearby with a large flat rock 60 feet in diameter perched precariously on a much smaller base at the top of a small hill. The village itself is unremarkable but the surrounding scenery is exceptional and not often visited, with cliffs, canyons and red rock buttes; the two main sites of interest are Goosenecks State Park and Valley of the Gods.
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A short track leads off the road past the Hat to the San Juan River, and with moderate effort it is possible to climb to the top, which affords good views of the surrounding red and grey rocks, many of which have been twisted into strange convoluted forms. Near the end of the track there is an excellent (free) place for camping, with views of the Hat and the river. The greenery along the water's edge contrasts vividly with the swirling reds and greys of the canyon walls. |
