Badlands of the Trail of the Ancients, New Mexico - National Scenic Byways on Waymarking.com

The Trail of the Ancients passes through harsh and unique geology of the Colorado Plateau high desert, offering a discovery of a dry, desolate and fragile mix of natural resources. These lands are often referred to as “Badlands”. They offer views of stunning rock formations, vast valleys, towering mountains, rivers that are often dry but sometimes raging with water. You will see colorful, rocky eroded hillsides displaying layers of soil in a rainbow of subtle shades of yellow, red, grey, orange, pink, purple and brown. A millennia of wind and rain have sprinkled the landscape with hoodoos, spires, caprocks, ridges, weird stone formations, rolling mounds. In the changing light of the evening sky, it is easy for the imagination to run wild and envision mystical creatures or ancient spirits coming to life from the formations. The terrain at first glance can seem featureless, but an alert eye will soon begin to appreciate the dry washes, the beauty of the gnarled shrubs and sparse but hardy drought-tolerant vegetation.
This northwestern corner of New Mexico, running south of highway 64, holds the tributaries of the San Juan, Chaco and Puerco rivers and is the home of the Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, Jemez and Zia Indian Reservations. It is criss-crossed with many good dirt roads that were built to serve the large oil and gas fields here.


These badlands are located within area #23 of the map on this link: (visit link)

Program: America's Byways Website: [Web Link] Official Name: Trail of the Ancients

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