Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness was formed long ago, long before there was a place called Four Corners, long before there were even people to give it that name.
When Four Corners was under water
In the Cretaceous period (145 million to 55 million years ago), when dinosaurs ruled, what would become North America was divided north to south by the Western Interior Seaway, a shallow inland sea under which lay the land that would become Four Corners. Even the Rocky Mountains had yet to be born.
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Because the area was covered by water, thick sediments formed and, over time, became limestone, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. The area was a seasonal tropical forest alongside a coastal swamp in which numerous plants grew but it was dominated by angiosperms — flowering plants.
Mass extinction made Bisti/De-Na-Zin possible
About 65 million years ago, the earth experienced its fifth mass extinction. This one we call Cretaceous-Tertiary, and it wiped out nearly three-quarters of all animal life. Sea turtles, sharks, and crocodilians survived, as did enough insects, birds, and small mammals to repopulate the planet. As life recovered and continued to evolve, animals died and were buried in sediments, large swaths of plants died and were covered. The pressure that created the land mass turned the plants into coal and fossilized the animals.
As if a living being, the earth breathed out, and the land pushed up, driving out the water, lifting the mountains, erupting massive volcanos, and creating the Colorado Plateau. The land lay thus for millions of years, while wind, rain, and snow eroded and sculpted its surface.
Arriving at the current time
Slip into the present day, and the land, 40 miles south of Farmington, is now known as the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. It is 45,000 acres of badlands in the high desert. It contains some of the most unique rock formations on the planet. It also harbors the longest, most complete fossil record in the world of the Cretaceous period — fossils of reptiles, dinosaurs, and early mammals.
Some 200 species of animal fossils and plant fossils, including petrified logs, leaf impressions, and carbonized leaves, have been identified in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. Bisti is pronounced bis-tie and means “shale hills.” De-Na-Zin is a Navajo phrase meaning “standing cranes.”
Explore shapes and colors of rock formations
You can visit the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness to see the remains of this prehistoric coastal swamp. You may be there to see the imaginative, other-worldly rock formations — hoodoos, pinnacles, desert spires, and arches. But you’ll encounter a kaleidoscope of color. There are gray shales embedded with thin layers of coal. Resistant beds of white sandstone form cap rocks over eroded softer stone to create hoodoos. Formations contain brown to purple iron concretions, green siltstone, and purple mudstone. In some places coal caught fire, its heat producing hard, red rocks called clinkers, a name given because of the sound the red stones make when you walk on them.
Access Bisti Wilderness
To access Bisti Wilderness, drive to between mile markers 70 and 71 on New Mexico Highway 371 — from Farmington to Crownpoint —and turn east onto County Road 7297. In about two miles, you’ll come to a T-intersection. Turn left and drive about a mile to the Bisti access parking area.
From there, you can hike to the Alien Egg Hatchery or Egg Factory, Hoodoo City, Manta Ray Wing, King of Wings, Paint Pallet Hoodoo, and other popular formations. They are all from one to four miles from the parking lot.
Access De-Na-Zin Wilderness
To reach the De-Na-Zin Wilderness, drive about 43 miles south of Farmington on Highway 371, turn east of County Road 7500, and continue for about 13 miles to the De-Na-Zin parking area. You be only three-quarters of a mile from the De-Na-Zin Wash and its formations.
Do’s and Don’ts of wilderness visits
If you want an in-depth excursion or think exploring a wilderness area for the first time is intimidating, consider joining a guided tour. Remember, this is a true wilderness area. There are no facilities in the area and no marked trails. It’s possible to get lost, so a GPS unit or compass is recommended to help you navigate.
Visitors come to hike and explore the unique landscapes. But many also come for truly world-class photography. Bring lots of water and perhaps snacks, but pack out what you pack in.
Sensitive wildlife observation
Bisti is an area supporting nesting golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, and prairie falcons, species extremely susceptible to human disturbance. If you are fortunate to see one of these birds, don’t approach it or disturb its stick nest. Move away as quickly and quietly as possible. Because the wilderness area is interspersed with Navajo tribal lands, you might encounter horses or cattle that have crossed into the wilderness. Just leave them alone and they’ll go home . . . eventually.
Motorized vehicles and bikes, drones, and campfires are not permitted. You can enjoy any and all rocks, fossils, and petrified wood you see, but don’t remove any. Others want the same experience you’re having.
Walking into the badlands, you may think you’re on an alien planet — or even the moon. You’re not. You’re just experiencing the wonders of the high desert of Four Corners, this part in New Mexico.
