Mexican Hat Rock — Attraction in Mexican Hat

Located along U.S. Highway 163, this formation can be best viewed by taking the dirt road to Mexican Hat Rocks Dry Camping area. You can stop at the large dirt parking area or follow the road to the south at the fork in the road to get even closer. If you are only going to take photos of the formation you do not have to pay any entrance fee. This is an extraordinary sandstone formation and is known for its distinctive sombrero-like shape. While not inside the Monument Valley Tribal Park, it is still considered sacred by the Navajo Nation. The rock formation has a large, flat caprock (Cedar Mesa Sandstone) balanced on a narrower pedestal of softer rock (Halgaito Formation – shale and siltstone), which gives it the appearance of a wide brimmed hat (sombrero). This formation is part of the Cutler Group and date back to the Permian Period, over 250 million years ago. The formation is approximately 60 feet wide and 12 feet thick at the top, sitting atop a pedestal that is approximately 300 feet above the...

The Mexican Hat rock formation is located near US 163, just north of the small town of Mexican Hat (named after the rock) in Utah. The area is easily accessible by car. The rock is visible to the east from the highway, but dirt roads lead to areas closer to the base of the rock formation. A trail network leads up from these dirt roads to underneath the balanced rock, although the last part of the trail may involve needing to scramble up relatively steep slopes. To climb the rock requires experienced rock climbers. The rock formation formed through different rates of erosion and weathering, with the softer layers of shale and siltstone being eroded faster from underneath the more resistant cap of sandstone. Such formations are generally temporary in geological terms, as continued erosion will eventually topple the Mexican Hat. The nearby town of Mexican Hat has various amenities, including hotels, restaurants, and a gas station. Several campgrounds are located in the area, including one...

The drive over to Mexican Hat takes you through some terrific scenery and the Hat itself is not large from a distance, but up close its quite impressive. The landscape near the Hat is littered with the remnants of older, eroded outcrops just like this that have weathered away leaving their cap rocks stuck in the ground all at the same angle, like so many crashed flying saucers. At one time there were lots of these formations in this area but now there is only this one in this place. The climb up to the top is not too difficult and the Hat makes a nice shade to take in the surrounding view. Getting down is the tricky part and I don't suggest you go up without a plan for getting down. Another bonus was that not a single other sole was here for the several hours we spent...