Island in the sky

The Canyonlands. The Colorado and Green Rivers converge here nearly 2,500 feet below the high mesas. Mountain ranges surround this area. The La Sals to the east, the Abojos to the south, and the Henrys to the southwest. Canyonlands National Park is segregated into three Districts – the Needles (lower elevation in the Canyonlands), the Maze (a 4wd adventure) and Island in the Sky (expansive mesa views). Don’t overlook Deadhorse Point State Park, immediately adjacent to the National Park, with arguably the best high rim hike. Kind of a gruesome story as to how the State Park got its name!

 

Rock formations in Arches National Park

The stunning beauty of Arches National Park makes it obvious why it is so popular. Over 2,000 arches and countless fragile sandstone formations are present within this eroded landscape. Fiery Furnace (permit required), Devil’s Garden loop and Delicate Arch trails top my list of absolutely required hikes. Also make sure to book camping reservations at Devil’s Garden Campground, which is considered one of the most beautiful campgrounds in the National Park system. The Park was established in 1971 (National Monument status 1929).

 

Natural Bridges National Monument is a gem to hike

The National Monument sits high on Cedar Mesa at 6,500 feet above sea level. Three massive sandstone bridges straddle the deep canyons and numerous arches are visible from within the canyons. The canyons contain the remains of an ancient Pueblo village dated between A.D. 1050-1300, as well as petroglyphs. The no question, must-do hike is the 10-mile loop hike that navigates through the upper mesa and drops deep into the canyons for most of the hike. The trail through the canyons is primitive with about 18 water crossings. Bring your extra pair of water shoes!

 

Monument Valley and the representation of the American west

The sandstone buttes of Monument Valley represent the epitome of our projection of the American west thanks to decades of use of this land in Hollywood westerns. I felt like I would run into the likes of John Ford, John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Clint Eastwood or James Stewart around each butte. Nothing but epic scenery here. Since this valley is sacred to the Navajo Nation, the most rewarding way to see and understand Monument Valley is with a Navajo guide for context to the rich history and culture of the area.

Canyon de Chelly, the Spanish interpretation for the word “rock canyon”

 The canyon network within the National Monument merges several canyons, including Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. The deepest canyon walls stand over 1,000 feet above the canyon floor. The National Monument is owned and cooperatively managed by the Navajo Nation. This is the only National Park Service unit managed this way and was established in 1931.

Today a little Americana

Remnants of a bygone automobile era along Route 66. Standing on the corner of Winslow Arizona and a reminder of the great 70’s Eagles hit written by Jackson Brown and Glen Frey. Stopping for a drink in the Turquoise Lounge of the La Posada Hotel, the last of the great Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railway hotels built in the early 1900s. Designed by architect Mary Jane Colter, who is considered by many to be the greatest of all southwestern architects.

The ancient world revealed within Petrified Forest National Park

One of the best places on earth containing the fossil record of the Late Triassic Period. The remains of prehistoric forests preserved as petrified wood, plant, and animal fossils. Petroglyphs are preserved as scribed by inhabitants of this area nearly 800 years ago. Our favorite hike in the park, the trail from The Teepees through the badlands to the Blue Mesa. 

El Malpais National Monument, the badlands

Where lava meets sandstone. Volcanic features include extensive lava flows, lava tube systems that extends over 17 miles and caves that contain ice year-round. Surrounding the lava fields are high sandstone bluffs and New Mexico’s largest natural arch, with a portion of the National Monument crossing the continental divide. 

 

Name the second National Monument created, and hint, it missed being first by two months

El Morro National Monument, created in 1906 (Devil’s Tower was the first and was created a couple months prior). “El Morro”, the Headland. There is a lot going on for a small National Monument, and a gem to visit.  First, the ancient Puebloans visited this area several thousand years ago. Followed by the Zuni that built Antsinni Pueblo (“place of writing on the rocks”) on top of El Morro in the late 1200s. Antsinni is estimated to have contained over 350 rooms and housed over 400 people.

El Morro’s sandstone cliffs contain a time stamp of past travelers with inscriptions beginning as early as 1605 with Spanish Conquistadors, the Mexican-American war, and settlers migrating to the new west. Lastly, the sandstone geology is fantastic to watch as the sun and clouds constantly change the sandstone colors.  

 

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument preserves dwellings built by the ancient Puebloan people

This National Monument maintains one of the best-preserved ancient cliff dwellings in New Mexico. These dwellings were built by nomadic Puebloan people around 1276-1287 and moved on by 1300. About 40 rooms were built inside five natural caves. Artifacts found inside suggest other groups pre-dating these Puebloan people used these caves for thousands of years.

On a more recent historical note, this area located near the headwaters of the Gila River, was the birthplace of the Apache leader Goyahkla, known as Geronimo, who was born in early 1820s. 

Rock formations and the night sky

City of Rocks, NM provided unlimited opportunity for photographing the night sky and incorporating impressive rock outcrops. Great State Park to consider when traveling near Silver City. This has to rank up near the top of my list for dark sky parks I have visited.

Goodbye southern New Mexico and spectacular camping

Off to new adventures after staying in southern New Mexico's Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains. These are a few camp spot pictures highlighting the beauty of the area.

Centennial celebration at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Celebrating 100 years for the Park! The last time I was here was as a young kid. A lot more infrastructure up top, but the caves look the same. Stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, draperies, lily pads, flowstones and so many things to find and see in the caves. Over 30 miles of cave passages have been explored with the deepest chamber at 1,037 feet below the surface. The caverns are home to hundreds of thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats that make their dramatic exit in the evening.

We didn't meet any aliens in Roswell

A couple guys I met on the street said they had not seen any aliens around for a while.  So, we will have to return again during alien peak season. 

White Sands National Park, the world’s largest gypsum dunefield

 This area is unique in that the dunes are made up of gypsum washed down from the nearby Andres Mountains, rather than a more typical quartzite sand, giving the dunes their pure white color. The dunefield was formed when an ancient sea retreated and caused the formation of selenite crystals, which were then broken up by winds and transported to create the dunes. The dunefield now covers over 275 square miles. The potentially oldest know human footprints in North America were found here and were dated to around 21-23,000 years old.

This area is unique in that the dunes are made up of gypsum washed down from the nearby Andres Mountains, rather than a more typical quartzite sand, giving the dunes their pure white color. The dunefield was formed when an ancient sea retreated and caused the formation of selenite crystals, which were then broken up by winds and transported to create the dunes. The dunefield now covers over 275 square miles. The potentially oldest known human footprints in North America were found here and were dated to around 21-23,000 years old.