Isolated, colorful, and surreal. New Mexico’s alien-like badlands are a dream to see in photos or in person. In fact, there is one aptly named location that, upon seeing, will feel like you’ve been transported to another world. Come see why we suspect the badlands of New Mexico are among the most beautiful places in New Mexico – it. Is. Magical.
Welcome to the Valley of Dreams.
John Fowler/Flickr This unusual landscape is just one small part of the more than 6,500 acres in the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness in northern New Mexico.
Visiting Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness is an isolating trek.
John Fowler/Flickr It is located about 2.5 hours northwest of Albuquerque via US-550 and a tiny dirt road that runs for 12 miles before arriving. Don’t expect signage, parking lots, or even marked trails; this area is remote and undeveloped, perfect for a chance to unplug and disconnect from modern life for a few hours.
The name, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, is derived from the Navajo words áshįįh łibá.
John Fowler/Flickr This translates to “gray salt,” describing just one aspect of the landscape: the gray, rolling landscape that looks like water frozen in time.
Other parts are significantly more colorful. The clay terrain is layered with stripes of white, rust, and olive.
John Fowler/Flickr
The landscape is covered in hoodoos, toadstools, pinnacles, and washes, each appearing more alien than the next.
John Fowler/Flickr Nature carved the clay badlands over millennia using just water and air, creating some bizarre yet beautiful views.
When do you plan to pay a visit to this dreamy landscape?
John Fowler/Flickr
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness is located in northern New Mexico, just north of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Google Maps
It can be accessed via US-550 and NM-57 near Nageezi. For specific driving instructions and additional details, visit the BLM website, Facebook page, or call 505-564-7600 for more information.
John Fowler/Flickr
This unusual landscape is just one small part of the more than 6,500 acres in the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness in northern New Mexico.
It is located about 2.5 hours northwest of Albuquerque via US-550 and a tiny dirt road that runs for 12 miles before arriving. Don’t expect signage, parking lots, or even marked trails; this area is remote and undeveloped, perfect for a chance to unplug and disconnect from modern life for a few hours.
This translates to “gray salt,” describing just one aspect of the landscape: the gray, rolling landscape that looks like water frozen in time.
Nature carved the clay badlands over millennia using just water and air, creating some bizarre yet beautiful views.
Google Maps
The Valley of Dreams is just the start of a long list of surreal landscapes scattered across the Land of Enchantment. You can read about a few more scenic locations in this article featuring eight breathtaking places in New Mexico that could be straight from a Dr. Seuss book.
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Address: Bisti Badlands, New Mexico 87499, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Beautiful Places in New Mexico July 06, 2022 Tori Jane Where is the Valley of Dreams in New Mexico? Valley of Dreams is a geological oddity northwest of Nageezi, New Mexico, near Farmington. It is a true wilderness and there are no trails running through it (though folks are allowed to explore at their own risk if they choose). It’s located in the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area and believe us when we say it is a geology geek’s dream (guilty as charged). What are some amazing New Mexico attractions to add to my bucket list? New Mexico is outrageously beautiful and, if you ask us, it doesn’t get the love it so rightly deserves. It’s a cultural hub of the desert southwest and a thriving place for the arts in every major city. It’s full of bucket-list-worthy attractions, like the breathtaking Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. This is an 80+ foot deep sinkhole pool that’s ridiculously popular among divers and visitors for obvious reasons: it’s so beautiful that it doesn’t even look real! Another must-do in New Mexico is in Santa Fe, especially if you enjoy an otherworldly, multi-dimensional experience. Head to Meow Wolf, one of the world’s best permanent art installations, and give yourself multiple hours to get through it all; trust us – it’s a lot (and it’s worth every moment). Where are the best places to visit in New Mexico for nature lovers? Nature lovers will adore any of the amazing state parks in New Mexico, like City of Rocks State Park in Faywood. If you’re a fan of the Valley of Dreams, you’ll love City of Rocks, too. It’s full of unique and interesting volcanic rock formations that definitely need to be experienced by everyone at least once. Another favorite is Bottomless Lakes State Park, which is excellent for anyone who visits the Blue Hole and loves it. It’s more of the same kind of delights, with nine small sinkhole lakes dappled across the park. We also love Rockhound State Park, which is perfect for – you guessed it – rockhounding in New Mexico!
The OIYS Visitor Center
Beautiful Places in New Mexico
July 06, 2022
Tori Jane
Where is the Valley of Dreams in New Mexico? Valley of Dreams is a geological oddity northwest of Nageezi, New Mexico, near Farmington. It is a true wilderness and there are no trails running through it (though folks are allowed to explore at their own risk if they choose). It’s located in the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area and believe us when we say it is a geology geek’s dream (guilty as charged). What are some amazing New Mexico attractions to add to my bucket list? New Mexico is outrageously beautiful and, if you ask us, it doesn’t get the love it so rightly deserves. It’s a cultural hub of the desert southwest and a thriving place for the arts in every major city. It’s full of bucket-list-worthy attractions, like the breathtaking Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. This is an 80+ foot deep sinkhole pool that’s ridiculously popular among divers and visitors for obvious reasons: it’s so beautiful that it doesn’t even look real! Another must-do in New Mexico is in Santa Fe, especially if you enjoy an otherworldly, multi-dimensional experience. Head to Meow Wolf, one of the world’s best permanent art installations, and give yourself multiple hours to get through it all; trust us – it’s a lot (and it’s worth every moment). Where are the best places to visit in New Mexico for nature lovers? Nature lovers will adore any of the amazing state parks in New Mexico, like City of Rocks State Park in Faywood. If you’re a fan of the Valley of Dreams, you’ll love City of Rocks, too. It’s full of unique and interesting volcanic rock formations that definitely need to be experienced by everyone at least once. Another favorite is Bottomless Lakes State Park, which is excellent for anyone who visits the Blue Hole and loves it. It’s more of the same kind of delights, with nine small sinkhole lakes dappled across the park. We also love Rockhound State Park, which is perfect for – you guessed it – rockhounding in New Mexico!
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Valley of Dreams is a geological oddity northwest of Nageezi, New Mexico, near Farmington. It is a true wilderness and there are no trails running through it (though folks are allowed to explore at their own risk if they choose). It’s located in the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area and believe us when we say it is a geology geek’s dream (guilty as charged).
What are some amazing New Mexico attractions to add to my bucket list?
New Mexico is outrageously beautiful and, if you ask us, it doesn’t get the love it so rightly deserves. It’s a cultural hub of the desert southwest and a thriving place for the arts in every major city. It’s full of bucket-list-worthy attractions, like the breathtaking Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. This is an 80+ foot deep sinkhole pool that’s ridiculously popular among divers and visitors for obvious reasons: it’s so beautiful that it doesn’t even look real!
Another must-do in New Mexico is in Santa Fe, especially if you enjoy an otherworldly, multi-dimensional experience. Head to Meow Wolf, one of the world’s best permanent art installations, and give yourself multiple hours to get through it all; trust us – it’s a lot (and it’s worth every moment).
Where are the best places to visit in New Mexico for nature lovers?
Nature lovers will adore any of the amazing state parks in New Mexico, like City of Rocks State Park in Faywood. If you’re a fan of the Valley of Dreams, you’ll love City of Rocks, too. It’s full of unique and interesting volcanic rock formations that definitely need to be experienced by everyone at least once. Another favorite is Bottomless Lakes State Park, which is excellent for anyone who visits the Blue Hole and loves it. It’s more of the same kind of delights, with nine small sinkhole lakes dappled across the park. We also love Rockhound State Park, which is perfect for – you guessed it – rockhounding in New Mexico!
