In April of 2015 a good friend and I took the trip of a lifetime through the epic state of New Mexico. I was blown away by the beauty and diversity of the place, but one sight in particular stood tall above the rest: the Bisti Badlands.
The gently rolling fields of grass quickly gave way to the terrain of another world. The landscapes were what I imagined the surface of Mars to look like, or maybe that of the dinosaurs. The place looked 65 million years old. I had never seen anything like it. Running around Bisti in nothing but the light of the moon was simply otherworldly. I felt like an explorer on another planet or in a different time. I had never felt more alive.
There was nothing in sight. No campers. No roads. No nothing. Bisti is relatively unknown. The nearest town is Farmington, 35 miles away, and there are no signs pointing to Bisti. The roads to get there are abysmal. You have to know exactly what you're looking for. All that being said, I hope it stays that way. It was magical, and I mostly hate it when people say that.
Bisti awoke something in me that I didn't know was there. I was wide eyed with a palpable energy that only comes from experiencing something amazing and new for the first time. I felt like a child again. This is the power of nature.
The America West is a treasure, and I can't wait to see more. Enjoy.
