New Mexico's High Desert Badlands
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness: A Prehistoric Gallery of Hoodoos and Fossils
Bloomfield, New Mexico, United States
This remote stretch of the San Juan Basin features a surreal collection of "fairy chimneys" and petrified stumps, offering a silent, fossil-rich window into the Cretaceous period.
Wandering through the high desert of the San Juan Basin feels like stepping onto the set of a vintage science fiction film. The landscape is defined by a palette of soft hues and jagged textures, where towering formations resembling pale fungi rise from the parched ground.
These multi-colored badlands serve as a quiet monument to deep time, preserving a world that existed long before the modern desert took hold.
Why It Stands Out
The geology here is a complex layering of sandstone, shale, and bituminous coal that dates back 75 million years. Over 75,000 millennia, the relentless forces of ice, wind, and water have carved the earth into a maze of "fairy chimneys," "tent rocks," and "earth pyramids." While the shapes are mesmerizing, the ground beneath your feet is equally significant.
This area is a prolific graveyard of the Cretaceous era, where the fossilized remains of ancient crocodiles, turtles, and dinosaurs are embedded in the soil. You will also find numerous upright petrified tree stumps, their roots still frozen in a prehistoric pose, though visitors must remember that collecting any fossils or petrified wood is strictly prohibited.
Before You Go
Accessing this 6,563-acre Bureau of Land Management site requires preparation, as it is located roughly 20 miles from the nearest major highway with almost no cell service. The journey involves navigating 15 miles of unpaved roads; specifically, travelers should take US 550 to Nageezi, turning onto Road 7820 and then 7786.
Avoid Road 57, as it is notoriously treacherous. The terrain is generally flat and the most striking formations are located within two miles of the parking area, making for an easy half-day trek.
However, the clay-heavy soil becomes extremely slick and impassable when wet, so check the weather forecast carefully before heading out.
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