Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
A federal wilderness area, the Bisti contains strange geological
features and fossils. Primitive camping and day hiking permitted.
The 45,000-acre Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a remote desolate area
of steeply eroded badlands which offers some of the most unusual scenery
found in the Four Corners region. Time and natural elements have etched
a fantasy world of strange rock formations and fossils. It is an ever-changing
environment that offers the visitor a remote wilderness experience.
Translated from the Navajo language, Bisti means "a large area
of shale hills" and is commonly pronounced (Bis-tie). De-Na-Zin
(Deh-nah-zin) takes its name from the Navajo words for "cranes."
Petroglyphs of cranes have been found south of the wilderness area.
The two major geological formations found in the wilderness are the
Fruitland Formation and the Kirtland Shale. The Fruitland Formation
makes up most of what the visitor will see while in the badlands and
contains interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. The
weathering of the sandstone forms the many spires and hoodoos (sculpted
rock) found throughout the area. The Kirtland Shale contains rock
of various colors and dominates the eastern part of the wilderness.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
to protect the area's naturalness, special features, and opportunities
for solitude and primitive types of recreation. All Wildernesses must
be used and managed in ways that will leave them unimpaired for the
use and enjoyment of future generations. Please do your part to preserve
the valuable resource of wilderness. Enjoy your stay but please leave
no trace of your visit.
Activities
Primitive types of recreation, such as hiking, backpacking, camping,
wildlife viewing, photography, and horseback riding.
Facilities
Parking is available at both the Bisti and De-Na-Zin access points.
No facilities are located at the wilderness area so be sure to take
plenty of water with you.
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Location & Access
The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is about 30 miles (as the raven flies)
south of Farmington,
NM. To reach the Bisti access off NM 371, go 36½ miles from
the San Juan River crossing, take a left turn on NCM (non-county-maintained)
Road 7297 and follow a gravel road for approximately 2 miles to the
Bisti parking lot. This turn is about 46 miles north of Crownpoint,
NM, just past the crest of the hill after crossing the Don Gleason
Bridge over De-Na-Zin Wash. The De-Na-Zin parking lot and access is
off County Road 7500, which connects US Highway 550 (at Huerfano Trading
Post) with NM 371, 8 miles south of the Bisti access exit. It is important
to note that County Road 7500 can become impassible in bad weather.
Check weather conditions in the area prior to visiting. Roads and
wilderness terrain may become slick or impassible in wet weather.
Fees
None.
Season/Hours
Open year-round.
Because of the climate, most of the visits occur in the late spring/early
summer and in the fall.
Special Rules
Since this is a Wilderness Area, it is closed to motorized vehicles
and mechanical forms of transportation (mountain bikes included).
Also prohibited are campfires, collecting fossils or petrified wood,
climbing on delicate geologic features, traveling in groups of more
than eight people, and trespassing on adjacent tribal lands.
Permits are required for uses such as grazing, scientific research,
and commercial guiding.
Bisti Hoodoos