The notebook of Bisti et badlands du San Juan Basin
Seek beauty in the lines of the terrain.
A desert of chimneys, stone wings and coloured layers in a territory almost without trails.
At your own pace
Identity summary
2 to 5 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
Desert · Nature
Variable accessibility
Sweet rhythm
General presentation
Bisti et badlands du San Juan Basin
A desert of chimneys, stone wings and coloured layers in a territory almost without trails.
Bisti and Badlands of San Juan Basin are found around Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness and Angel Peak. The stay thus alternates between desert areas and natural areas, giving a concrete picture of the destination beyond its only best known site.
See all
For a stay of 2 to 5 days, a quiet rhythm works well. Also to be anticipated: conditions to be checked according to the season. A car is usually the easiest way to connect different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be checked step by step.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
- Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness
- Angel Peak
Before you choose
- Car often useful
- Conditions to be checked by season
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Place indismissible
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness It features a set of grey, ochre and purple badlands, carved in hoodoos, friable domes and almost animal forms. There is no signposted path or real shadow: the interest of the place lies in this slow walk between mineral landmarks, ideal when the low light brings out the reliefs.
Place indismissible
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness offers a more isolated version of the badlands of San Juan Basin, with fairy chimneys, petrified wood and coloured layers that touch the ground. Silence counts as much as the rock forms: the visit requires orientation, water and stable weather, but delivers an almost unreal landscape.
Nature and panorama
Angel Peak
Angel Peak dominates an amphitheatre of stried badlands, where the ravines descend to a dry plain with ash-coloured colours. The views at the edge of the plateau lend themselves to a short but notable visit, especially at the end of the day when the top and layers of clay are clearly detached.
Place indismissible
Salmon Ruins
Salmon Ruins conserves the walls of a large chacoan complex located near the San Juan River, with kivas, aligned parts and traces of subsequent pueblo transformations. The site, quieter than Chaco Canyon, helps to grasp the extent of the exchanges and migrations that once linked the communities of the region.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
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The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Similar destinations
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