Simon Ruin highlights an amazing canyon hike in New Mexico
Even on my tenth visit to the Navajo Dam and Navajo Lake areas of San Juan County New Mexico, I still found another hidden gem to explore for the first time. The San Juan River connects the lake and town, and in the middle are “holes,” day recreation areas, most of which are accessed on the south side of the river. I wanted to check out the northern side of the river, which led me to the Simon Canyon Trailhead which culminates at an old Navajo ruin atop a huge boulder. It was used as a kind of fort and is surprisingly well preserved. Climbing around the area on boulders myself I photographed it from all angles. The hike out there from the trailhead on its own, with its stunning canyon views, would have been worth it alone, but with the ruin to see at the end, this is a definite hidden gem you should work into your San Juan County travel plans! Check out the full history in the photo below and at the bottom of the page a Google Map to get you there yourself!
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History of Simon County Ruin former Navajo boulder top fort
Fine Art Photos of Simon Canyon Ruin in San Juan County New Mexico
Visit the Simon Canyon Ruin - trail map
To visit the Simon Canyon Ruin yourself, you have to navigate to the Simon Canyon Trailhead, which is on the north side of the San Juan River. Most river access is on the south side of it, so to reach the trailhead, about 4 miles of dirt/gravel road driving is needed on the north side of the river to get to the trailhead. The hike itself to the ruin is stunning too, so try to fit it into your schedule when you visit Navajo Dam and Navajo Lake!
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