Four Corners Monument Isn’t What You Are Expecting
We had a week to kill in between jobs so we decided to take a family road trip and go camping in the Rocky Mountains. On our way to Telluride we saw the sign for the Four Corners Monument but we didn’t have time to stop in because we had a bit of a situation on our hands.
Our Chevrolet Explorer conversion van was barely getting us through the desert and any stop was a perilous endeavor. The trip had started off just fine, but we were forced to detoured to the city of Page (which was a slow, arduous ride when you can only drive below 35 mph) when the van started acting up and while we were there we were told that it would be a week or more before we could get in for an appointment at ALL of the auto shops. It was at that point that I figured I was in the wrong business and I should own an auto shop in a tourist destination for the summer.
Fast forward 5 days, a new fuel pump, $1300 and some crazy amount of waiting for a small town to get the parts and we were finally able to make it to our campsite. Because of the catastrophe of the fuel pump and the fact that I had to get back to a new job on Monday, it was a very short camping trip in the Rockies and we were back on the road. This time we were a bit more confident that we wouldn’t be stranded if we tried to stop so when we saw the sign we decided that “Yes, we’d like to stand in four states at one time!”
Getting to Four Corners Monument
There’s really only one way to get to the monument and that’s off of State Route 160 on your way from Teec Nos Pos (which isn’t much to shake a stick at) and if you need any type of civilization
- 40 min from Cortez, CO
- 54 min from Bluff, UT
- 2 hours 45 from Page, AZ
If you go, be sure to take plenty of water in the summer and some CASH. There is an entrance fee for each vehicle and at the time of this post they don’t take card friends, so the almighty dollar is still king. You can always pay in advance online, but I tend to not think that far in advance on our trips!
The website states the hours and current fees.
- Open daily. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
- October 1 to March 31: 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
- April 1 to April 30: 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
- May 1 to Thursday of Memorial Weekend: 8 a.m.-6:45 p.m.
- Friday of Memorial Weekend to Aug 15: 8 a.m.-7:45 p.m.
- Aug 16 to Sept 30: 8 a.m.-6:45p.m.
- Park entrance fees:
- Adults: $5/day
- Children (6 and under): Free
Four Corners Monument History
On the monument’s website the state of Arizona confirms that it really is the only place in the U.S. where you can stand in one spot and be in four states at one time. I had no idea that the history had all been about territorial battles until 1912.
For years, territorial squabbling between Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah kept the states’ borders in flux. In 1912, when the dust settled and the final lines were drawn, a cement pad was built on-site to officially mark the spot where the states came together. The cement pad has since been upgraded to a brass and granite designation marking the “four corners.”
Since the time they poured that first concrete pad the monument has been upgraded a bit and there are flags that line the edges with open air markets on each side surrounding the monument. After seeing the monument, it sure wasn’t what I was expecting.
What to Expect at Four Corners Monument
What was I expecting from an isolated spot out in the desert? Disneyland has ruined me. For some reason I had conjured up in my mind a huge concrete pad (at least the size of a decent house) or even that foam rubber stuff on playgrounds with the boarders all intersecting and each state painted in a bright color that took up the entire portion of this imaginary pad.
I had also expected to see a guide of some sort to help direct people and answer questions, etc… I had a vivid picture in my mind that all of the tourists would come into the monument and gather around it waiting for a turn to jump in and take a picture with no real form or method.
I was greeted with open air market in true Native American style with a huge line of people waiting their turn for a photo at the monument. There isn’t a hint of shade anywhere. It was nicely kept and clean, but nothing like I had imagined and what’s even funnier to me is that I usually have ZERO expectations from anything and anyone.
The market is lined up around the edges of the monument and each hut is selling some type of tourist thing, mostly fry bread for food and who knows what Kachina Dolls and whatnot. What surprised me is that no one was selling water. It was almost 97 degrees outside and no one was selling cold (or even outside temperature) bottled water. The businessman in me was wondering why people were selling all this useless stuff when the real need was right in front of them, a huge line of very hot tourists that needed a drink so they would not forfeit their place in line. Oh well!
Getting Your Selfie
Waiting in line didn’t take all that long, probably about 30 min, but trying to put sunscreen on my little rug rats and eat a bit of lunch in line made the wait eventful like always. It wasn’t until we got closer to the front that I realized there wasn’t anyone at the front of the line directing people or helping them get in and then get out.
I suppose I had been to far too many state and national parks. I though for sure Ranger Joe would be at the front of the line herding us through like cattle, but no… people could spend as much time as they wanted and do as many poses as they felt was necessary (which in my book is basically one, stand in all four states and take the photo).
By the time it was our turn I was ready to be a model tourist. Selfie stick was ready and paired to my phone, kids were gathered and briefed on the plan. No one was going to wait on us too long!
It was at this moment that I wished like hell that the drone I had bought on that crowd funding site would actually materialize and I could get an epic pull away shot from over head. Never believe anyone when they say they are “just about ready to ship.”
I put the selfie stick as high as it would go and pointed it down at the ground I didn’t know if we were standing in the right spots, it was so bright! I snapped off a couple of pics and then, because we had waited for all those other posing misfits I decided to do a shot with our “good camera” via the raised platform they have built off to the side of the monument. It was an OK shot, but like I said, we were just happy to finally get to the front of what felt to be an unnecessarily long line.
My Experience Lost in the Shuffle
I know it’s pretty silly to say but I had always wanted to visit Four Corners Monument since I was a kid. Having lived in Arizona almost my entire life we never made it up that direction and I was fascinated by the fact that a person could stand (albeit in a bear crawl position) in one spot and be in four states at once. I figured whoever had thought this up must have had a pretty good sense of humor.
By the time we had waited in line and I had gotten everything ready for our photo, combined with the pressure of so many people watching, I didn’t really experience what the monument was like. It was lost on me, the entire experience would be a memory of the “before” and the “after” but very little do I remember about the actual “doing” part.
I suppose that’s how it goes, but if I ever stop by again I’m gonna lie on the boarders and close my eyes and soak it all in… I just hope you aren’t behind me in line!
Key Take Aways
- Expect a line
- Pack water
- Bring a hat, there is no shade
- Bring cash or pay ahead
- Get a really good, tall selfie stick
- Don’t forget to take a minute to soak in the experience
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