Remaining largely unknown and rarely unvisited, the 4000 acre Bisti Badlands are part of an even greater northwestern New Mexico 41,000 acre preserve called the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. Taken from the Navajo phrase, large area of shale hills, the Bisti Badlands are laced with bizarre rock formations, hoodoos and highly sculpted layers of sedimentary rock.
   This unearthly landscape, made up of the Fruitland Formation and Kirtland shale, are essentially layers upon layers of sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal and silt. This isolated area, about 30 miles south of Farmington, is filled with tons of nature's artwork. Occasional flash floods and wind-blown desert sands have etched away the soft layers of mudstone, leaving behind some of the most unusual sandstone shapes.
   Perhaps the lack of road signs or the need of park-like facilities keeps this desolate area from being a mainstream travel destination. From the appearance of these striking photos, one can instantly see that this would be a fantastic landscape for the adventurous photographer.

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