The Bisti Badlands is a 45,000-acre wilderness area near
Farmington, New Mexico. “Bisti” is a Navajo word, meaning “among
the abode formations.” When I asked the hotel clerk about the
direction to Bisti, she said, “It is just a desert. There is
nothing to see.” Don’t let the name “badlands” or the popular
concept of desert fool you. Indeed Bisti is a beautiful place, but
it is by no means a road side attraction. You have to walk deeper
into the wilderness to unveil the gems. Many unique and
spectacular rock formations can be found in Bisti, such as the Egg
Garden, the Wing, the Sphinx, and the Eagle Nest. Please keep in
mind that these are not the official names because it is not a
national park or a state park that has viewpoints. Any explorer or
photographer could assign any name to any rock.
Before I went to Bisti, I conducted extensive research using
Google. Some hikers suggested that it is better to stay along the
main wash, because you could follow this obvious landmark to
return to your car no matter how far you hike. But if you wander
around, you might be lost in the desert in spite of using a
GPS. At last I decided to hire an experienced tour guide named Jim
Caffrey. Jim knows the area very well and without his guide I
would never have been found those hoodoos. Let alone returning to
my car (more pictures below).
