New Mexico’s Alien Throne rock spire collapses after heavy rains

The Alien Throne, a well-known rock spire in north-west New Mexico’s Valley of Dreams, has collapsed after recent heavy rains, though the cause has not been confirmed. Its loss matters to visitors and photographers, as well as Indigenous residents who regard the formations as traditional waypoints across the land.

Tour guide Kialo Winters found the formation in pieces on 30 October, after storms had brought flooding, evacuations and water rescues to the region. Another nearby spire, the King of Wings, was also reported damaged, but posts suggest that happened before the most intense rains. The Navajo Nation and Bureau of Land Management are expected to investigate; the extent of damage to other formations across the Four Corners region is unknown.