The Other Badlands

The Bisti Wilderness is by far the most well known of the badlands in the San Juan Basin. It was the most popular when I was leading photography tours out there. But, there are numerous other places that qualify as badlands.This petrified tree trunk is located in the Fossil Forest, a small area south of the Bisti Wilderness. It sits on the edge of a ridge which is the only elevated ground for miles in any direction.

Nikon D700, Nikkor 16-35mm f4 @ 24mm, 1/25 sec, f16While exploring a remote area along Ah Shi Sle Pah Wash several miles west of what is considered to be the Ah Shi Sle Pah badlands, I came across this curious formation in a small alcove near the edge of what I would describe as a sculpture garden of hoodoos.

Nikon D810, Nikkor 16-35mm f4 28mm, 1/40 sec, f18

Along the southern margin of Ah Shi Sle Pah Wash there is a zone which I think of as the yellow badlands. It is a particularly rugged area with steep drainages and many places that would easily collapse under a hiker’s weight into a subterranean maze of eroded caverns and channels.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 24-120 mm f4 @24mm, 1/5 sec, f18

This is another bizarre formation I came across quite by accident while wandering along the far western end of Ah Shi Sle Pah Wash. Since then it has become a destination. I’m happy to have known it before the masses arrived.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 16-35mm f4 @32 mm, 1/15 sec, f16

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