Goosenecks State Park preserves one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the American Southwest. From the rim, the San Juan River can be seen making five tight hairpin bends in the canyon below — over a distance of six river miles, the river advances just one mile as the crow flies. The canyon walls drop more than a thousand feet and expose 300 million years of geological history in their coloured strata.
The park is six miles north of Mexican Hat via a paved road from US-163. There is a viewpoint with a low railing at the canyon edge and a small parking area. It is particularly striking in low morning or afternoon light, when shadows sharpen the meanders and the canyon colour changes by the minute. There are no services here beyond a composting toilet, and the viewpoint can be reached in minutes from the car — but the sight rewards an hour of patient watching.