Shiprock Peak is the sacred mountain of the Navajo and the stuff of legends. The impressive silhouette of this huge mound of solidified lava that is over 3 million years old rises up from the desert plateau to a height of more than 510m. Its Navajo name, Tsé Bit' a' í ("Rock with Wings"), describes its shape, which calls to mind two large folded wings. Up close, one can admire its tall fluted pink walls reaching to the sky. It is absolutely forbidden to climb it!