About this city
Also known as: The Sombrero Outpost
Nestled spectacularly along the sweeping, red-rock canyons of the San Juan River in southern San Juan County, Mexican Hat is a historic rural village named after an extraordinary geological anomaly located just outside the town. Established in the early 20th century following a localized oil boom sparked by pioneer oil man E.L. Goodridge, the community transitioned into a serene backcountry staging ground for desert wilderness exploration. The village owes its unique name to a massive, 60-foot-wide inverted rock slab balanced precariously atop a slender stone pedestal, perfectly resembling a colossal Mexican sombrero. Today, Mexican Hat coordinates a quiet tourism economy, functioning as a vital launch point for river runners, backcountry hikers, and geologists exploring the rugged canyonlands of southeastern Utah.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1 day
Photograph the precarious balanced stone slab at the official Mexican Hat Rock scenic turnout. Launch a raft or kayak for a multi-day wilderness river trip down the rugged San Juan River. Explore the mind-boggling red sandstone switchbacks and panoramic canyon overlooks at nearby Goosenecks State Park.
