A GPS won't help you

[+user13371]

Originally spotted on Snopes & http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090421/D97MHDT01.html

Anybody here been to the either the real or the incorrect location?

Readings show Four Corners marker off by 2.5 miles

 

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Tourists who think they're putting a hand or foot in each of four states at the Four Corners area are apparently missing the mark - by about 2.5 miles. National Geodetic Survey officials say the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be.

 

The only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed by the government in 1868 during the initial survey of Colorado's southern boundary. The survey was inaccurate.

 

Officials said Monday the accurate location lies to the east of U.S. 160 in Colorado and northeast of the San Juan River as it flows into New Mexico.

 

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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

 

Edited April 23, 2009 by lee_rimar

[+StarBrand]

More info on the above - read this - the monument is ok.....

 

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=114221

[+fourbeer]

Originally spotted on Snopes & http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090421/D97MHDT01.html

Anybody here been to the either the real or the incorrect location?

Readings show Four Corners marker off by 2.5 miles

 

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Tourists who think they're putting a hand or foot in each of four states at the Four Corners area are apparently missing the mark - by about 2.5 miles. National Geodetic Survey officials say the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be.

 

The only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed by the government in 1868 during the initial survey of Colorado's southern boundary. The survey was inaccurate.

 

Officials said Monday the accurate location lies to the east of U.S. 160 in Colorado and northeast of the San Juan River as it flows into New Mexico.

 

---

 

Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

 

 

Sounds like it is really only about 1800 feet off and not 2.5 miles like the Utah paper says.

[+coggins]

[sanramonhunter]

 

So how far from the monument where you when you took that photo?

Edited April 23, 2009 by sanramonhunter

[+SamSpade47]

Just for fun, I punched N37 W109 into Mapsource and Google Earth, both showed the position about 2.5 miles to the East and several hundred feet North of the Monument.

[+Renegade Knight]

....The only place in the United States where four state boundaries come together was first surveyed by the government in 1868 during the initial survey of Colorado's southern boundary. The survey was inaccurate.

...

Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

 

My understanding was that once set those monuments set the real boundaries. Mistakes in setting them wouldn't change the boundary. Tourists can relax. The mistake defined the states.

[John E Cache]

The confluence coordinates are not at the monument according to Google Maps.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...&iwloc=addr

 

If you zoom in on the monument the N/S line is not even straight.

Edited April 23, 2009 by John E Cache

[+StarBrand]

See post number 2.................

[jmundinger]

My understanding was that once set those monuments set the real boundaries. Mistakes in setting them wouldn't change the boundary. Tourists can relax. The mistake defined the states.

 

I think that interpretation is correct. The "mistake" at four-corners is minor compared with the error that was made when the boundary between Montana and Idaho was surveyed. But, western Montana is still part of Montana, not Idaho.