New Mexico Places

El Malpais National Monument.  Between 800,000 to 3,000 years ago, this area was intermittently a running river of lava.  Part of the Zuni-Bandera Field and McCarty’s Lava Flow Field, El Malpais is a spectacular river of black alkali basalt and hawaiite.  It is easy to access, just a few hours east of Albuquerque on I-40, near the city of Grants.  It is, however, much harder to photograph.  There are a few easy and beautiful photography spots: the Sandstone Bluffs (where you can look down on the river of lava, and also the site of a photogenic little tree), La Ventena Natural Arch, and the many volcanic caves (though they are sometimes closed seasonally).  However, photographing the trails across the lava flows can be tricky.  The black lava does not reflect much light, and there are few trees or other plants to break up the black monotony.  I am certain there are people who can turn this amazing spot into amazing pictures, but I am not one of them.  ADVICE:  If you are going to walk on the lava trails, wear THICK and disposable boots.  The lava is sharp and can shred your shoes if you get off-trail.  If you are visiting the Sandstone Bluff, go after a heavy rain and photograph the beautiful transient pools of water on the bluff.  Driving around the monument is easy, since the roads are paved.

Valley of Fires Recreation Area, BLM.  Valley of Fires is also a volcanic flow, but further east and south.  This flow is more recent (5,000 years old), but is also much easier to photograph.  It is dotted with Common Sotol (resembling a yucca), which contrast nicely with the black lava.  I suggest visiting at sunrise or sunset to add more color to your pics.

White Sands National Park.  This place is amazingly photogenic.  And also deadly.  White Sands is a vast expanse of white gypsum sand dunes.  They are deceptively tall, deceptively vast, and deceptively uniform.  It is easy to become lost among the dunes, and in summer you can overheat quickly.  This place has claimed more than one life in recent years.  White Sands is most photogenic near sunrise and sunset, and the yucca growing on the dunes makes for iconic images.  This site is also home to one of the more amazing and contentious discoveries in all of North American archaeology.  ADVICE: This is a heavily visited park, but it is vast.  It’s easy to get away from the crowds, but make sure you have downloaded the google map for the region for offline use.  That way, no matter how far you wander in, you can always find your way out.  Take a LOT of water with you.  Do not underestimate the danger of this place if you go unprepared.

San Lorenzo Canyon, BLM.  San Lorenzo Canyon is northeast of Socorro, on the edge of the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.  It is an area of sandstone cliffs, arches and hoodoos.  I have only been there twice, but I enjoyed the slot canyon, the cliffs, and the trails.  There is a small cottonwood grove in the canyon, which shines bright yellow in the fall.  ADVICE: The slot canyon is accessible from the southern end of the canyon.  However, the first segment involves going up a seven-ish foot ledge.  When I was there, someone had assembled a temporary wood ladder.  You may want to bring a collapsible ladder when you go, in case there is not one already there.

Diablo Canyon Recreation Area, BLM.  Diablo Canyon is near Santa Fe, and is a dramatic canyon that has been featured in western movies.  The sheer cliff walls are used for climbing.  The walls are volcanic cracked basalt.  A sandy dry stream bed runs through the canyon.  There are vaulted toilets in the parking lot.  ADVICE: I have only been here once, but it is a large place with lots of room to explore.  Give yourself plenty of time. 

San Ysidro Trials Area, BLM.  The Trials Area is a few miles northeast of San Ysidro.  There is a parking lot near a trailer park pull-out.  It is a very large area used by hikers, mountain bikers and explorers.  It includes naturally-formed bowls in the stone that fill with water during certain times of year.  The canyons are shallow but beautiful.  This area is not well known, and I have only visited a few times.  But the area is well worth exploring and photographing at length.  ADVICE: Take water and a means for navigating offline.  In the summer, be prepared to wade through pools.

Red Rock Park, Gallup.  As you drive west on I-40 east of Gallup, you can’t help but notice the dramatic sandstone bluffs and formations to the north of the highway.  The park is vast, and includes numerous trails.  The sandstone is beautiful, especially at sunset.  ADVICE: Sunrise and sunset bring out the colors and shadows best.  NM 566 cuts north through the formations winding northeast to Standing Rock.

Valles Caldera National Preserve.  Valles Caldera is a supervolcano near Jemez.  The preserve is vast, covered with grasslands, peppered with resurgences in the caldera, and ringed by caldera walls that resemble mountain ridges.  This is a great place to see wildlife, but I find that it is best for landscape photography.  ADVICE: Explore the trails and get a permit to drive the back country roads in the caldera.  Longmire was filmed here (Longmire’s cabin in particular).

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, BLM.  Tent Rocks is a well-known monument, so much so that access has recently been restricted to reduce the number of visitors.  To visit, you must make a reservation through Recreation.gov,  Tent Rocks includes some amazing rock formations that resemble teepees, and a wonderful slot canyon (though not as colorful as those found near Page, AZ).  ADVICE: Plan ahead, book your reservation, and then be there as early and late as possible to catch the light.

Ghost Ranch.  Ghost Ranch is privately held by the National Ghost Ranch Foundation.  It was once the home to artist Georgia O’Keeffe.  It includes a dramatic landscape of colorful bluffs and canyons.  You can book accommodation at Ghost Ranch, or just pop in for a day visit.  There are some great trails, and organized tours.

Walatowa Slot Canyon.  Walatowa Slot Canyon is a tranquil and photogenic canyon on the Jemez Pueblo,  It is not as spectacular or multi-colored as the slot canyons in Page, AZ, but it is more so than the slot canyon at Tent Rocks National Monument.  It is easy to access, along a 1.5 mile beautiful and well-maintained path.  It is mostly flat, with little elevation gain.  There are, however, three narrow bridges with no hand rails,  The bridges cross shallow washes, so there is no real danger of falling, but the bridges would not be suitable for wheelchairs or walkers.  Hiking inside the trail itself is easy, though you do have to navigate medium-sized rocks and moderate inclines, but you will not need to scramble over boulders as you would in many other slot canyons.  A walking stick will help maintain balance.  The trail requires a permit, which you can purchase for $13 at the Walatowa Visitor Center in Jemez.  From a photography perspective, the canyon has beautiful rough walls and lush green foliage.  I do not know whether the plants are invasive, but the green leaves make for a striking contrast with the red walls.

Paliza Canyon Goblin Colony.  The Goblin Colony sits on the edge of the Valles Caldera in central New Mexico.  According to a paper posted on the website of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mining Resources, "The monoliths and walls consist of eroded spires, fins, spire and fin clusters, columns, and steam pipes of bright orange to tan tuff."  The volcanic rock formations are impressive.  In all of my travels, I have seen nothing like them.  The smallest formations are 8-10 feet tall, and the largest easily exceed 30 feet,  The colony is on BLM land, so it is free to access.  There are two approaches.  You can hike in from the bottom, near the Paliza Canyon campgrounds.  This trail is approximately four miles roundtrip.  You can also drive further north, and access the goblins from the top of the ridge.  If you choose the latter option, be aware that parking is limited to one very narrow wide spot in the road, and a drainage ditch.  Cars with low clearance may struggle here,  The goblins themselves are slowly eroding from a steep hillside, so regardless of whether you hike in from the bottom trail, or drop down from the road along the ridge, expect steep dusty footing.  The pictures are deceiving.  It's much steeper to walk among the goblins than it appears.  If you have bad knees, give this one a miss.  I took a walking stick (which was very helpful) and chose my routes carefully.  Good shoes are a must.  I visited the colony on a sunny mid-day in April, so the temperature was perfect, but the lighting was horrible.  If you are visiting for photography, I would suggest going closer to sunset.  But be careful that you are not picking your way up or down the steep incline after sunset.  It's a looong slide to the bottom, or worse yet, into a hard volcanic slab.