An Inspired Cook

The Bisti Badlands are located in the four corners area of New Mexico south of Farmington off of Hwy 371. The Bisti’s have been #1 on my bucket list for many years, but for different reasons we haven’t been able to go until now. You can look at photos and watch YouTube videos but there is nothing like seeing this landscape in person that makes you feel transported into another place and time. Much of the landscape appears black and white or sepia tone. It’s dry and desolate and the heat becomes a factor much of the afternoon so hiking in this area is best in the mornings. We carried several bottles of water with us knowing that there were no water stations to refill our bottles. The area is 45,000 acres and 60 square miles so unless you have an idea where to go, you could wander for hours. We did our research and decided we needed a GPS to coordinate areas and also keep track of our path because there are no trails and many of the footprints are blown away with the wind. We parked at the south parking lot and entered our coordinates into our GPS with 3 areas that we wanted to see; the Wings, Cracked Eggs and the Petrified Logs. We made it to those areas but we were also lured into other areas that we wanted to explore. There’s just so much to see, much more than we could even imagine in the few hours we were there. I hope you can imagine being transported to this enchanted land that was shaped by time and mother nature!

One of the first signs of color were these mounds that were covered in tiny pieces of red rocks that dotted them and the ground around them.

On the side of this mound was what appeared to be a sink hole.

This is what it looks like on the ground. The red rock that dots the ground appears like a carpet of red from a distance.

Another mound in the distance that appears black with grey stripes.

There were several formations that appeared like an alien spaceship.

The winged area is a group of formations that appear to be a table platform with a top that hangs over. There are numerous formations in this area. Check out these unique shapes . . .

This is an optical illusion. The formations at the top are actually way off in the distance but appear as if they are sitting on top of the winged formation.

Most of the mounds are covered in this texture which looks like dried cracked stucco.

Way off in the distance these striped towers were in the center of a valley.

Almost every photo captures a background that is just as interesting as the close up.

We’ve reached the area of cracked eggs. Most New Mexicans refer to them as “Dino Eggs”. They do have the appearance of hatched eggs or clam shells. There are swirls of color and ripples that have been carved by the wind over many years that give them their unique character. They are amazing to see!

We saw some really unique formations on our walk over to the Petrified Logs. Here’s a few of them . . .

We started to find chunks and logs of petrified wood in some crazy places.

This piece of petrified wood is about 6 foot long. It’s just sitting been sitting on top of this platform like it was staged in a museum.

The piece on top is longer than it appears. Check this out . . .

I assume a tree fell and this is the result over so many years. The background is amazing!

Here’s another petrified log that looks like the vigas that I have in my house!

The other side shows the log going completely through the formation.

These pics are just some interesting sights along our path as we headed back.

The next few pics are of clusters of hoodoos.

Can you see the dragon and his wings?

It’s hard to show you what it’s like but these panoramic pics might just give you a taste of what it was like to walk among the Bisti Badlands.

For more detailed information you might want to check out this blog DIY Travel HQ. They have a list of attractions with a map and coordinates to get you there.