Experiencing the Four Corners region

In five years of full-time RVing, we’ve seen a lot that this great country has to offer, from vast oceans to towering mountains to broad prairies to rolling hills to expansive deserts. 

Although we had managed to stand in three states at one point — South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa — one goal eluded us: visiting the Four Corners Monument, the only place in America where you can stand in four states at once. A brass plate in the ground marks the junction of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. ​

Much of the Four Corners region belongs to the Navajo Nation, as does the monument. Getting there from any direction requires driving through reservation land. We had traveled through the Navajo Nation from north to south on two different occasions — once on the western portion and once on the eastern. But we’d never driven through it west to east or vice versa. 

We used the Page, Arizona, area as our jumping-off point. After spending a week about 45 minutes southeast of Page in alluring Marble Canyon near Lees Ferry, we were ready to move on. 

We navigated to U.S. Route 160, which, coincidentally, is also known as the Navajo Trail — for good reason. It starts in the midwest section of the Navajo Nation and takes travelers northeast, directly to Four Corners before continuing into and across Southern Colorado and ending in Southeastern Missouri. 

In a three-hour span, stretching high desert gave way to beautiful red rocks, fascinating formations, and panoramic views. Eight flags flying in the wind signified we had reached the Four Corners Monument. We stopped at a booth, paid our $8 per-person entrance fee, and found a parking spot to take advantage of this rare opportunity and snap photos as proof.

Where to from here?

From Four Corners, exploration opportunities abound in every direction, all rich in Native American history. 

Northeastern Arizona showcases Monument Valley, also part of the Navajo Nation and the most famous area of the Four Corners region. Featured in numerous movies and popularized by Forrest Gump’s enduring run in the eponymous film, the spectacular red rock formations draw more than 400,000 annual visitors to see the marvels for themselves, according to bluffutah.org.

We had the privilege of glimpsing the incredible buttes in 2021 and found ourselves in awe of the amazing landscape, although we opted not to pay the fee to get up close. ​

Southeastern Utah boasts its own red rocks and magnificent formations en route to Moab and stunning national parks, including Canyonlands and Arches. 

Northwestern New Mexico features the largest city of the Four Corners region, Farmington, with a population greater than 46,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The area is also home to Zuni Pueblo, the state’s largest, as well as Aztec Ruins National Monument and Navajo Lake State Park.

In Southwestern Colorado, vast farmlands coexist with historical sites, including Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park, which displays one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings. 

Finding direction

Having spent ample time in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico — though more in the Albuquerque area than the northwest — we opted to head to Southern Colorado. 

We had originally planned to spend much of our 2025 travel season in Colorado but changed our minds after driving Interstate 25 from Wyoming to Albuquerque in 2024. The traffic congestion, on a Saturday, made us want to avoid our old stomping grounds in the Denver area, where we had lived as newlyweds. During that time, we didn’t explore much of Colorado outside of Denver. 

The state offers a different landscape and climate than the other parts of the Four Corners region, with breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains that make us grateful for our Creator and the RV life we get to lead.

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