World Art Utopia

Camel Rock

Camel Rock near Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico: a pinkish rock ridge with a tall rock neck and flat head at its right end, like a resting camel, above green junipers under a blue sky.
Artwork FileTesuque Pueblo, New Mexico, USA

Camel Rock

SeenJun 2024

Natural rock formation · Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico, USA

Photo: Highlightwiki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0), as also published on Street Art Utopia.

Camel Rock is a big chunk of weathered, pinkish-tan rock, about 40 feet high and 100 feet long, that looks like a camel resting on its legs, according to RoadsideAmerica. Source Reported It stands near Tesuque Pueblo, north of Santa Fe, beside U.S. Route 84/285. Source Source Checked In late January or early February 2017 the end of its nose broke off. Source Checked

Seen Jun 2024: the newest dated photograph we found is the one above, taken on 19 June 2024 and published on Wikimedia Commons. Source Checked

More photos

Coloured linen postcard titled Camel Rock on Highway 285, near Santa Fe, New Mexico: the rock with its full head above junipers, a road and a horse-drawn wagon in front.
1930–45 Camel Rock on Highway 285, a linen postcardPhoto: Boston Public Library (Tichnor Brothers postcard) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Camel Rock seen from the side in May 2010 in a toned photo: the narrow rock neck and wide flat head stand on a bare hill, casting a long shadow, with junipers in front.
2010 The rock from the side, before the 2017 breakPhoto: Mike Tungate / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
The head and neck of Camel Rock and a bare tree in black silhouette against a huge rising full moon, March 2012.
2012 Moonrise behind the camel’s headPhoto: theilr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

đź’ˇ 4 things to know

  1. The camel lost the end of its noseRoadsideAmerica says the end of the camel’s nose fell off in late January or early February 2017; on 12 February 2017 the Los Alamos Daily Post reported that the mouth had dropped off, apparently from natural causes. What remains still looks like a camel. Source Source Checked
  2. Sandstone or limestone?RoadsideAmerica calls it weathered, pinkish-tan sandstone; the Library of Congress title of Carol M. Highsmith’s photograph calls it a pink-limestone formation. We lean towards sandstone: RoadsideAmerica describes the rock itself, OpenStreetMap tags it as sandstone, and the Library of Congress wording is a photograph title. Source Source Source Conflicting
  3. A roadside stopAccording to RoadsideAmerica, the rock is right off a highway exit ramp, with its own parking area and a short trail, and admission is free; it gives the directions as US Hwy 285 exit 175. Source Reported
  4. On postcards for decadesA linen postcard titled “Camel Rock on Highway 285, near Santa Fe, New Mexico”, issued about 1930–1945, is in the Tichnor Brothers Collection of the Boston Public Library. Source Checked

đź“Ť Where it is

Beside U.S. Route 84/285 north of Santa Fe, near Pojoaque and Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico. Source Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens Google Maps at the rock’s coordinates as mapped on OpenStreetMap (35.8246567, -105.9794106).

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1930–45

    Linen postcard of the rock on Highway 285 · Boston Public Library

  2. 200820 Apr

    Photographed at Tesuque Pueblo · Wikimedia Commons

  3. 201010 May

    Photographed from the side · Wikimedia Commons

  4. 201223 Mar

    Photographed against the rising moon · Wikimedia Commons

  5. 201712 Feb

    Mouth dropped off, apparently from natural causes · Los Alamos Daily Post

  6. 20214 Jan

    Carol M. Highsmith photo, date as catalogued · Library of Congress

  7. 202419 Jun

    Photographed beside the highway · Wikimedia Commons

Green stamps mark dated photographs and pictures; amber stamps mark dated reports and records.

🗞️ In the sources

Los Alamos Daily Post12 Feb 2017

“Apparently from natural causes, the mouth has dropped off Camel Rock, the popular landmark visible along the interstate north of Santa Fe on U.S. Route 84/285 near Pojoaque.”

Read the source →

Library of Congress4 Jan 2021

“The figure once had a more prominent snout, but a portion broke off in 2017.”

Read the source →

RoadsideAmericaUndated

“In late January or early February 2017 the end of Camel’s nose fell off”

Read the source →

âś… The facts

Type
Natural rock formation that looks like a resting camel Source Source Checked
Rock
Sandstone (RoadsideAmerica, OpenStreetMap) or pink limestone (Library of Congress photo title); we lean towards sandstone Source Source Source Conflicting
Size
About 40 ft high and 100 ft long (RoadsideAmerica) Source Reported
Place
Near Tesuque Pueblo, Santa Fe County, New Mexico Source Checked
Damage
End of the nose (the “mouth”) broke off in early 2017 Source Source Checked
Cause
Apparently natural, according to the Los Alamos Daily Post Source Reported
Access
US Hwy 285 exit 175; parking area and trail; free (RoadsideAmerica) Source Reported

đź”— Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 4 November 2026. How we verify art