High Desert Geological Wonders
Bisti Badlands: A Surreal Labyrinth of Alien Hoodoos
Farmington, New Mexico, United States
By the Wicked Cool Places editors · Published · Updated
Why it’s cool
This remote New Mexico wilderness features a surreal collection of top-heavy hoodoos and undulating sandstone shapes that look more like an alien planet than the American Southwest.
Deep in the high desert of northwestern New Mexico lies a terrain so bizarre it feels detached from our own planet. The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a silent gallery of geological oddities, where the earth has been carved into shapes that defy traditional logic.
Walking through this silent, arid expanse, visitors encounter a world of colorful shale and sandstone that seems to have been grown rather than eroded.
Why It Stands Out
The landscape's name reflects its deep indigenous roots; "Bisti" translates from Navajo as "among the adobe formations," while "De-Na-Zin" refers to the cranes depicted in local petroglyphs. Similar ancient carvings can be found at Nine Mile Canyon.
What makes this place truly startling is the interplay of sandstone, shale, and ancient ash. Over millennia, water and moisture have stripped away softer layers to leave behind massive hoodoos (tall, spindly spires) and top-heavy rock mushrooms.
These undulating fungal shapes and stone labyrinths create a natural set so otherworldly it has rarely been used for film, with the notable exception of the thriller *Sorcerer*. The surreal nature of these formations evokes the works found at the Salvador Dalí Museum.
Scattered among these formations, visitors might also stumble upon fragments of petrified wood, remnants of a much wetter, ancient era.
Before You Go
Navigating this wilderness requires total self-reliance. There are no marked trails, signs, or visitor centers once you leave the parking area.
The main formations are located roughly . miles from the trailhead, but without a reliable GPS, it is incredibly easy to lose your bearings in the repetitive, desert terrain. The environment is harsh, with scorching daytime temperatures and freezing nights.
Cell service is non-existent, and there is no water available on-site. The parking area, reached via gravel Road off State Highway , offers only basic pit toilets, and even then, you should pack your own supplies like toilet paper.
You must be prepared to be entirely on your own in this remote corner of the Southwest.
Questions worth answering
What's the actual landscape like out there?
It's a high desert expanse of shale and sandstone carved into top-heavy hoodoos and rock mushrooms. The terrain feels more like an alien planet than the Southwest, featuring a silent gallery of geological oddities and fragments of petrified wood.
How do we find our way around the formations?
There aren't any marked trails, signs, or guideposts once you leave the parking area. You'll need a reliable GPS to navigate the 1.5-mile trek to the main formations, as the repetitive desert terrain makes it easy to lose your bearings.
What should we expect in terms of facilities?
Expect nothing but basic pit toilets at the parking area, and bring your own toilet paper. There's no water, no cell service, and no visitor center, so you're entirely on your own once you turn off State Highway 371.
Where did the information for this guide originate?
The initial details came from a Bisti Badlands source, and we've developed our own editorial from there. It covers everything from the Navajo roots of the name to the site's brief appearance in the film Sorcerer.
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