Shiprock, a pinnacle in the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, is said to have once saved the lives of a Navajo tribe from their enemies. One night, the tribe's medicine man prayed to their gods for deliverance and the Spirits responded by moving the people east aboard the rock.

The Native Americans lived on the rock, only coming down to cultivate the land and collect water. A storm blew through one day and destroyed the bridge leading to the tower. The women, children, and old men starved to death as they could not get down. The bodies of their loved ones are haunted by the ghosts at the top of the monument.

That is the why the Navajo Nation believes in the sanctity of the rock. However, in 1939, the Sierra Club scaled the pinnacle which opened the door for others to come and do the same. In doing so, the rock climbers compromised the purity of site.

Even though the Navajo Park and Recreation Department illegalized visitors from ascending it, there are internet sites that encourage bypassing the law. When you visit the site, be aware that you are on Native holy ground.