Tsegi Overlook is a perfect spot for stargazing, especially during the night when the Milky Way appears in all its glory. As you gaze up at the Milky Way, it's hard not to feel a sense of awe and wonder at the sheer magnitude and beauty of the universe we live in. It's truly a remarkable experience and a reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things.
Nature's sculptures bathed in Starlight
In the still of the night, the Lybrook Badlands came alive as the ancient hoodoos stood tall and proud under the twinkling blanket of the Milky Way. The ethereal light of the galaxy cast eerie shadows across the weathered rock formations, giving them a mysterious, otherworldly quality. The hoodoos, shaped over centuries by wind and water erosion, seemed to reach for the stars as if trying to touch the infinite beauty of the night sky. In this moment, the Lybrook Badlands were a true marvel of nature, showcasing the power of the elements and the majesty of the universe.
The Valley of Dream area in the Bisti Badlands has some amazing formations that take a life of their own in the darkness of night. I like to call one of my favorite formations the cerebellum for obvious reasons. Low level lights were used to light up the scene.
The Aztec, NM area has hundreds of miles of oil field dirt roads used to service the oil & gas installations in the area. This makes it feasible to explore the multitude of arches in the area. The roads are best travelled on a 4X4 and should be avoided during the rains. It is very easy to get stuck in the seemingly innocuous puddles that form during the monsoon season. I say this based on personal experience. This is a small roadside arch that looked pretty mundane during daylight hours but came out pretty good as a milky way foreground.
A MW from the mystic Bisti Badlands. I had the opportunity to spend a fair bit of time last year among these amazing structures. The distant coyotes kept me company during the night.
The Lybrook Badland Hoodoos are a breathtaking natural wonder, a unique landscape of stone spires sculpted by the forces of nature. During the night hours, when the world is still bathed in darkness, this place takes on an even more magical character as the Milky Way rises above the hoodoos. The starry sky acts as a celestial canvas, painting the landscape with the delicate glow of the galaxy's many stars. The sight of the Milky Way illuminating the hoodoos is truly unforgettable and transforms this already remarkable place into an otherworldly spectacle. Whether you're an astronomer, a photographer, or simply a lover of nature's beauty, the Lybrook Badland Hoodoos Milky Way scene is not to be missed.
Another night spent by the Mushroom in the Bisti Badlands. I was worried that light pollution in the north from Farmington would be an issue. However, things worked out fairly well.
This is a popular arch in the Aztec area with a span of 42ft and a height of 35ft. An approximately 4.3 mile on the area oil field dirt roads is required to reach the arch. The hike to the arch is relatively short but there is a section that requires a short scramble. After hoisting myself up, I used a rope to lift up my camera gear and tripod up this section. It is important to get your bearing and mark this location on your GPS especially if returning in the dark as this is apparently the only safe way to get back from the arch.
This one was a relatively small arch but quite picturesque, especially once lit up with low level lights. The opening is only around 3.5x2ft wide.
A celestial canvas painted by starlight, made this desert landscape of sculpted rock formations look like a dragon resting. The Bisti Badlands is a remarkable geological wonderland located in northwestern New Mexico, known for its otherworldly rock formations that seem to have been sculpted by some ancient and mysterious force. These sculpted rocks, which have been eroded over millions of years, take on a variety of shapes and colors, from towering hoodoos and spires to delicate arches and fins. At night, under the glittering Milky Way, the Bisti Badlands takes on an even more surreal quality, with the starry sky providing a stunning backdrop to the already awe-inspiring rock formations.
For hoodoo hunters, the Valley of Dreams area of the Ah-shi-sle-pah Badlands in northwestern New Mexico holds some of the most unique formations to enjoy. The Alien Throne is one of the landmarks hoodoos in this area, and I had a wonderful time photographing the amazing structures in the area.
Fantasy Night at the Alien Throne
For hoodoo hunters, the Valley of Dreams area of the Ah shi sle pah Badlands in northwestern New Mexico holds some of the most unique formations to enjoy. The Alien Throne is one of the landmarks hoodoos in this area, and I had the privilege to enjoy this remote spot under the starry skies with the company of coyotes howling occasionally in the distance.
The hoodoos at Lybrook Badlands are truly a sight to behold, with their fascinating shapes and the warm colors of the surrounding rock formations creating a mesmerizing landscape. The hoodoos, which are tall, thin rock formations, were created through a process of erosion over many years. The unique shapes of the hoodoos are due to the soft rock that forms the core of the structure and the harder rock that forms the cap. Over time, elements such as wind and rain erode the softer rock, leaving behind the tall, column-like formations.
We had an extended stay in the Aztec, NM area this summer and this provided great opportunities to visit the Badlands multiple times. Several evenings and nights were spent exploring the infinite number of hoodoos and the night skies. These hoodoos adorned with a late season Milky Way are called the Conversing Hoodoos for obvious reasons.
A night spent at one of the beautiful arches in the Aztec, New Mexico area. It is however unfortunate that graffiti is starting to appear on the arch. Also, there was a lot of trash in the area that my better half spent time cleaning up.
