Shiprock
Shiprock, town, San Juan county, northwestern New Mexico, U.S. Lying on the vast Navajo reservation, the town, originally called Needles, was founded in 1903 as a center of tribal government. It served as such until 1938, when the Navajo nation established its capital at Window Rock, Arizona. The town takes its name from Ship Rock, a volcanic rock located 10 miles (16 km) to the southwest. This rock rises 1,400 feet (420 meters) from the desert; in Navajo the peak is called tse bida’hi, “winged rock,” and it figures prominently in Navajo mythology. Pop. (2010) 8,295; (2020) 7,718.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Shiprock
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
31 March 2025
Access Date:
April 20, 2025