Bisti Badlands, New Mexico

Bisti Badlands New Mexico

Bisti Badlands New Mexico

Egg Factory Bisti Badlands, New MexicoThe Egg Factory, Bisti Badlands New Mexico  #57385  Purchase

Bisti Badlands New Mexico is one of those places that has an otherworldly beauty and mystique to it. Situated in the Four Corners area of Northwestern New Mexico, the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a land of layered sandstone, silt, shale, mudstone, and coal. Years of erosion by water and wind  have turned these layers into strange and whimsical rock formations, hoodoos, wings, fins, and mushroom shaped spires, seemingly straight out of a fantasy or science fiction story.

Desert Beauty

Always on the search for new locations offering dramatic landscapes, and being a big fan of geologic oddities, I was drawn to Bisti’s beauty many years ago after seeing some photos of it in a magazine. However, it wasn’t until this spring that I had my first opportunity to visit and photograph this wonderful wilderness. I had put off visiting this and other sites in New Mexico to photograph other more famous Southwest icons, such as Zion, Arches, Joshua Tree, and the beautiful Sonoran Desert, to name a few. So it was with great excitement that on this trip I was finally going to see one of the greatest concentrations of badlands in the Southwest.

Bisti Badlands, New MexicoEvening storm over Bisti Badlands #57421  Purchase

Bisti Badlands doesn’t flaunt it’s beauty like many of the well known and sought after locations in the SW. It’s one of those places where you’ll drive for miles on empty roads in a seemingly desolate landscape. Only to arrive and wonder what the big deal is and where is all the scenery? It’s true that the Bisti Wilderness is in an arid, dusty, nearly flat and featureless high plain. Arriving at the main parking area you are greeted by not much more than a wide dry wash framed by a few interesting hillsides. But there is much more to see.

Like many hidden wilderness gems you have to get out and do some legwork. It’s easy to spend the day exploring hidden canyons buttes and washes. This is where doing your homework and researching literature maps and photos comes into play. There are several key areas of interest to discover. However, without some clues as to where they are you can spend many hours wandering about. These days many people rely on GPS technology to guide them quickly to the best spots. However, I feel this really takes away from that satisfying experience of discovering something on your own.

Desert Light

Another way in which Bisti Badlands keeps it secrets is the light. You can wander about for days checking out all the best the Bisti has to see. Although if all your time is spent during the middle of the day, you’ll miss out on the real magic. I was incredibly fortunate on my first trip to encounter some truly spectacular lighting conditions which made the badlands come alive with just about every adjective in the book. On my second day the weather was very cold and windy, with a solid grey sky that made even the most interesting hoodoos look dull and lifeless. Like a good photographer, I stuck it out and spent the time exploring and lining up compositions for when and if conditions were more favorable.

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To my surprise, the clouds began to break up in the west about an hour before sunset. The time many photographers refer to as the “magic hour”.  In the eastern sky was the remnants of a passing storm. Sheets of rain and snow flurries stood out against a dark grey background. As the setting sun broke through the clouds the eastern sky lit up like on fire. Truly an experience that I will always remember. Of course in the midst of all this drama I was working in high gear to find and compose as many photographs as I could reach before it all ended. The next evening was more tame. Waiting around until dusk brought some interesting light on the badlands as alpenglow softly illuminated the formations.

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Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument New Mexico Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument #57013 Purchase

On my recent photo trip to the Southwest I made a point of including, among my subjects, sites of Ancestral Puebloans. Several years ago I began visiting and photographing ruins, pictographs, and petroglyphs in the Cedar Mesa region of southern Utah. Finding these sites to be very intriguing and educational I wanted to explore more of them on future trips. On this latest excursion, my first stop was Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in western New Mexico.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National MonumentGila Cliff Dwellings National Monument #57023 Purchase

A Home in the Cliffs

Gila Cliff Dwellings, near the Gila River, was home to the Mogollon people around 1200 AD. It was thought to be inhabited until the early 1300’s. Like most of the ancestral ruins on and near the Colorado Plateau, the inhabitants mysteriously to abandon their homes and villages near the end of the thirteenth century. Within the boundary of the monument there are many preserved sites. The main dwellings consist of around 46 rooms among five cliff caves. You can visit in around an hour. Although it would be a shame to drive this far without making it a leisurely visit. At the main cliff caves a very knowledgeable ranger is stationed to answer all your questions and explain in detail the history of the Mogollon people.

If you decide to visit the monument be aware that it is a long drive. Silver City New Mexico is the nearest town. The distance is only 44 miles but the road follows a winding route through the mountains. Making the time traveled from Silver City around two hours. The monument has some primitive camping available. There are also a few national forest sites nearby along, with some natural hot springs.

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Gila Cliff Dwellings National MonumentGila Cliff Dwellings National Monument #57008  Purchase