I've reviewed the few posts that mention Bisti. It seems most go to Chaco Canyon over Bisti Badlands. From what I've read, I don't think my little car would appreciate the drive into Chaco Canyon. Therefore, I was hoping Bisti Badlands is more accessible.

Does anyone have a real picture of the route there & time to allow driving?
Coming from Albuquerque, is it a smoother, quicker route to 1) head up to Farmington on #550 and drive down to Bisti Wilderness, or 2) drive west past Grants & up #371 past Crownpoint?

Thanks for any input /advice. It will be in mid-April 2006.

ttt -- anybody??

Sorry I can't help (it's one of the many places in NM we haven't seen yet) but I'll top this for you in hopes someone can help.

If you don't get any responses here, try Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forums.

Lee Ann

syv -
The road into Chaco was easy coming in from Farmington. It was flat and graded. No problem at all unless it was raining hard. Don't miss Chaco. It's a special place. We really wanted to visit Bisti while in Chaco but it's so hard to get to. I would bet the lesser used roads into Bisti are a lot rougher than the road from Farmington into Chaco. Chaco Canyon was the highlight of our 10 day CO/NM trip last fall.

I've also been wanting to go to the Bisti Badlands too. CHeck out this website!

http://bistibadlands.com/maintime/maintime.html

Also here is the website for the BLM brochure which will help you find your way. http://www.nm.blm.gov/wilderness/ima...i_brochure.pdf

Utahtea

One more good website. http://www.nm.blm.gov/wilderness/bisti_wilderness.htm

My husband is a geologist in this area and has taken people on field trips there. He is in that area right now, but when he returns, I will ask him and have him come up with a route & driving time for you. He'll be home today, so give me a day & hopefully we'll respond by tomorrow!

Oooh, I ma so glad you posted this question. I am going to Santa Fe in May and was looking at Bisti, it looks so otherworldly!

You MUST go to both places (but don't try to get to one from the other), and allow enough time to really explore this overlooked part of the world. www.bistbadlands.com has already been suggested for the Bisti/De-Na-Ze wilderness areas..it is a really cool virtual tour that just begins to give you the flavor of the place. Bisti is a wilderness area, so the only access is by foot. It really is in the middle of nowhere, but the quiet and lack-o-people is refreshing. The best access is from Farmington, about 40-45 miles south on Hwy 371. It's not real well marked, so keep your eyes open. It'll be on the east side of the highway (on the left as you travel south). The (primitive) parking area is about a mile down an all-weather, graded dirt road. The visit is a fair amount of walking, but it's easy and there's alot to see since the only trees are petrified and have been for at least the last 65 million years (some are stumps in their growth position...very cool). The best places are the Egg Factory and HooDoo alley, about an hour's walk in. The best parts of this valley are along the south side. If you're there for just a short time, there are nice exposures about 1/2 mile, on your right as you enter the area. I've also found a fair amount of dinosaur bones (it's a kinda famous place for that amongst us geologists). Caution: Bring water, but leave your modesty in the car, 'cause there are no facilities, and very few out-of-view places for relief.
There are plenty of websites you can visit that will tell you as much as you can stand in a whole-lot nicer sounding prose.

Chaco Canyon is entirely different. This a cultural stop, with some very well excavated Chacon-aged (~800 AD) ruins, a very nice visitors' center, paved roads (once you get to the area) and flush toilets. Getting there from ABQ is best via Hwy 550 -slightly north of ABQ on I-25 in Bernalillo - (sometimes quite scenic, but always a four lane highway). (You might consider stopping in Cuba for a meal at El Brunos's.) That's an easy drive, about 2 hours, if you make all the lights. Take a left at Nageezi, where the sign tells you. This road starts out paved (with HUGE) potholes, but they're easy to avoid, even at 50 mph. A few miles down the road, you'll take a right on to an all weather road (if it's been raining alot, you may want to exercise a little caution, cause it can get slippery....but it usually doesn't rain that much that time of year). You'll be on this road for about 25 miles...it's a typical all-weather road with it's share of (annoying) washboard sections, but I've made it in small rental cars with no problems. Leave enough time to wonder around the ruins. It's easy walking (unless you're adventurous and climb up to the overlook, but even that's not bad). The park 'rangers' are friendly and very helpful. There have been times when I've had the entire park to myself, so don't expect alot of people-pressure when you're there in April.

Hope this helps...
cb's geohubby

To cb's geohubby,

I've heard that the road into Chaco was going to be improved with a cheap seal. Have you heard anything about this?

Utahtea

Utahtea, I heard that too, but I don't think it has happened yet. It wasn't mentioned on the Chaco website.

Lee Ann

Geohubby,
Wow, thanks for the info! They sound amazing. I am from Nebraska where we literally have no rocks, so petrified trees and rock formations will thrill me!

My last visit to the park was last fall (October)and I noticed no seal (cheap or otherwise) on the road. It really isn't a bad road, just a little bumpy and, of course, dusty. I would be surprised if the road was ever sealed, since they like to regrade the road every 1-2 years to smooth out weather and wear deterioration. Just don't try to set any land speed records and you'll be fine in that old beat-up VW bus...;-)

Thanks for all the info. I'm leaning towards Bisti Badlands over Chaco Canyon.


What do you recommend between these if I cannot do all:

Chaco Canyon
Gila Cliff Dwellings
Petroglyph

?


(I've been to Mesa Verde before)


Thanks,

Sylvia

Without question, Chaco Canyon.

I haven't been to Gila Cliff Dwellings, so between Chaco and
Petroglyph, it's Chaco hands down!

Utahtea

thanks!