Bisti Wilderness is truly a hidden gem in New Mexico. The are no tourists, no crowds, no trails, just miles of breath-taking landscape. If you want a one-of-a-kind experience, then the Bisti Wilderness is definitely for you. Hiking in the Bisti Wilderness is definitely one of the top ten things to do in New Mexico. It really is hard to describe the landscape hidden within the Bisti Wilderness. Probably the best words would be other-worldly. Imagine a place where Hollywood could film scenes for every alien movie for the next decade, that is how vast and varied the landscape within Bisti. Every set of hills crossed reveals new landscapes providing endless wonder. You could hike the wilderness for several days and never become bored.
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Location:
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico We used Google Maps and it took us right to the parking lot. But if Google is not cooperating, the entrance to the wilderness is off HWY 371. There are several gravel roads that lead to the parking lot. The main roads is NM7290 which leads directly to the parking lot, but is longer. You can also use NM7297 or NM7293 which both intersect NM7290 and are shorter options to the parking lot. The gravel road we took was in good condition and we had no problems getting there in the little sedan we drove. There was a large brown sign marking the entrance to the wilderness. The sign is at the start of a gravel road that snakes along for a few miles and ends in the parking lot of the wilderness area. |
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The Hike:
The wilderness is owned by the Bureau of Land Management so it is free to enter, camp, and hike. There are no trails, you simply hike wherever you desire. The BLM does suggest that you stay in the wash to prevent getting lost, but we had a GPS and therefore were able to hike off into the hills without fear of getting lost. While it is free to camp, there is no running water, bathrooms, or real campsites. We simply put our tent up on a flat area next to the parking lot.
We arrived at Bisti right before sundown and quickly set up camp. There were two or three other cars in the parking lot when we arrived, but the owners of them hiked out just after dusk leaving the entire wilderness to us. Just by luck, it happened to be a moonless, clear night which yielded the most incredible night sky we had ever seen. Around 8am we set off into the wilderness. As stated before, there are no trails so we just picked a direction and started hiking.
The wilderness is owned by the Bureau of Land Management so it is free to enter, camp, and hike. There are no trails, you simply hike wherever you desire. The BLM does suggest that you stay in the wash to prevent getting lost, but we had a GPS and therefore were able to hike off into the hills without fear of getting lost. While it is free to camp, there is no running water, bathrooms, or real campsites. We simply put our tent up on a flat area next to the parking lot.
We arrived at Bisti right before sundown and quickly set up camp. There were two or three other cars in the parking lot when we arrived, but the owners of them hiked out just after dusk leaving the entire wilderness to us. Just by luck, it happened to be a moonless, clear night which yielded the most incredible night sky we had ever seen. Around 8am we set off into the wilderness. As stated before, there are no trails so we just picked a direction and started hiking.
Every ridge of hills we cross we were met with the most amazing, strange, and unique terrain we had ever seen. Each ridge brought new sights and amazement. It is hard to describe the feeling of every 20-30 minutes being stunned by the landscape. Pictures do not do justice to the things we saw in Bisti. There is almost no wildlife and we only saw a few other hikes from afar.
We hiked all day and arrived back at our tent around 3pm. When we reached the parking lot, there were maybe a dozen other cars in the parking lot, but we were never closer than half a mile from other hikers. Our GPS showed that we had hike a 9mile loop into the wilderness. Hiking was not very difficult, except when scrambling up hills to get a view from the top.
We hiked all day and arrived back at our tent around 3pm. When we reached the parking lot, there were maybe a dozen other cars in the parking lot, but we were never closer than half a mile from other hikers. Our GPS showed that we had hike a 9mile loop into the wilderness. Hiking was not very difficult, except when scrambling up hills to get a view from the top.
Season/Weather:
We hiked Bisti in late May. The temperature at night was in the low 40's and rose into the 80-90's during the day. There was almost no shade in the wilderness. We found a few ravines to rest in out of the sun, but otherwise were in full sun exposure the rest of the day.
We hiked Bisti in late May. The temperature at night was in the low 40's and rose into the 80-90's during the day. There was almost no shade in the wilderness. We found a few ravines to rest in out of the sun, but otherwise were in full sun exposure the rest of the day.
Tips:
- There is no water in the wilderness, or even places to fill up a bottle at the parking lot so we had to bring all our own water. Also, take lots of water with you when you hike.
- Bring some food and snacks if you plan on hiking for more than a few hours.
- There are no bathrooms so bring your poop shovel!
- There is no shade anywhere, so bring sunscreen or long sleeves and pants. Sunglasses and a hat are also a very good idea.
- While not necessary, a GPS was nice to have allowing us a little extra peace of mind to hike off the main wash.
- It is a desert which means large temperature swings from day to night. At night it was in the low 40's and during the day it reached the 90's. Be prepared for both.
- Be carful with the weather. It does not rain much in Bisti, but when it does, there is a chance for flash flooding in some of the ravines.
Pictures:
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