State Parks and National Parks

Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness

The Bisti Wilderness is 38,381 acres of seemingly barren and lifeless badlands.

Hop back 70 million years, and the region was lush, leafy and home to many large reptiles and mammals. Their fossilized remains are embedded in the rocks at Bisti and have been an important record of the region's transition from coastal swamp to inland floodplain.

The wilderness area is distinguished by several unique geological formations that give the landscape its eerie cast. Hoodoos are rock columns sculpted into odd, fantastical shapes. There also are huge spires of red sandstone.

Motorized travel and mountain bikes are prohibited in the wilderness, but there is lots of room for hiking and backpacking.

Primitive camping beneath the hoodoos can be a near-supernatural experience. There is no water, so pack in a large supply.

Photo credits in order: Photo courtesy of New Mexico Bureau of Land Management. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Office. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Office.