Shiprock is a geologic formation rising nearly 1,800 ft. above the high-desert plain on the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico, about 12 miles southwest of the town of Shiprock. It is an impressive example of a volcanic neck, or a central feeder pipe of a volcano. The remnant of an eruption around 30 million years ago during the Oligocene, it is the basalt core of an extinct volcano. Near the main peak, one can see small pinnacles, the remains of smaller auxiliary volcanic vents. The formation plays a significant role in Navajo religion, mythology and tradition. Shiprock is a point of interest for rock climbers and photographers and has been featured in several film productions and novels. It is the most prominent landmark in northwestern New Mexico.