Navajo Church

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Navajo Church

| photo = Navajo Church.jpg

| photo_caption = South aspect

| elevation_ft = 7350.

| elevation_ref ={{cite peakbagger|pid=87461|name=Navajo Church, New Mexico|accessdate=2024-07-02}}

| prominence_ft = 340.

| prominence_ref ={{cite web|url=https://listsofjohn.com/peak/13665|title=Navajo Church - 7,350' NM|website=listsofjohn.com|access-date=2024-07-02}}

| isolation_mi = 0.91

| isolation_ref =

| parent_peak = Pyramid Rock

| map = New Mexico#USA

| map_caption = Location in New Mexico

| label_position = right

| map_size = 260

| country = United States

| state = New Mexico

| region = McKinley

| region_type = County

| location = Navajo Nation

| coordinates = {{coord|35.5575220|N|108.6014696|W|type:mountain_region:US-ID_scale:100000_source:gnis|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_ref ={{cite gnis|id=892387|name=Navajo Church|access-date=2024-07-02}}

| range = Zuñi Mountains
Colorado Plateau

| rock = Morrison Formation[https://books.google.com/books?id=h5-I24Sda5wC&dq=navajo+church+morrison&pg=SL5-PA13 Steven M. Condon, Revisions of Middle Jurassic Nomenclature in the Southeastern San Juan Basin, New Mexico], U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989, p. E13.

| age = Late Jurassic

| topo = USGS Church Rock

| easiest_route = {{YDS|5+}} climbing

}}

Navajo Church is a {{convert|7350.|ft|meter|adj=mid|-elevation|abbr=off|sp=us}} pillar in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States.

Description

Navajo Church is part of the Zuñi Mountains. The landmark is located {{convert|7|mi|km|spell=in}} east-northeast of Gallup and {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} north of the town of Church Rock, which is named after the landform. Topographic relief is modest as the summit rises {{convert|550.|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above Red Rock State Park in 0.6 mile (1 km). A 2.2 mile (round-trip) hiking trail leads to, and around, the base of the spires.[https://www.visitgallup.com/things-to-do/outdoors/red-rock-park/ Red Rock Park], Visitgallup.com, Retrieved 2024-07-02. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to the Puerco River. Navajo Church is a sacred place to the Navajo people.[https://www.theroute-66.com/wingate.html Wingate, Theroute-66.com], Retrieved 2024-07-02. This landform's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names.

Geology

The three spires of Navajo Church are composed of the Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation which dates to the Late Jurassic.[https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/periodicals/nmg/11/n3/nmg_v11_n3_p61.pdf Orin I. Anderson, New Mexico Geology], August 1989. The spires rest atop a pedestal of the formation's Recapture Member. This then overlays Zuni Sandstone which displays spectacular eolian crossbedding on the south face. Successive layers below dropping south to Red Rock Park include Bluff Sandstone, Summerville Formation, and Entrada Sandstone.[https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/state/red_rock/home.html Red Rock Park], New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, Retrieved 2024-07-02.[https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/tour/state/red_rock/red_rock_geol_map_color.pdf New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources, Retrieved 2024-07-02.]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Navajo Church is located in a cool semiarid climate zone (Köppen BSk).{{cite journal | author = Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson, B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year = 2007 | title = Updated world map of the Köppen−Geiger climate classification | journal = Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume = 11 | issn = 1027-5606}} The summers are hot during the day, but the high altitude and low humidity mean that nights remain distinctly cool. Most rain falls in the summer from afternoon thunderstorms, and winter snow is common and sometimes heavy.