The western United States is home to some of the world’s most iconic natural masterpieces. Monument Valley, Delicate Arch and Devil’s Tower are famous places with wonderful architectural blocks of Mother Nature that always attract countless tourists to admire them.
And one of the most stunning landscapes in the American West lies in a remote corner of New Mexico. The place mentioned is Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah.
The Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is one of the most remote areas in the northwestern part of New Mexico. Throughout the area known as Cuenca de San Juan, its geological characteristics have been transformed over time into a land of magical shapes, home to strange rocks.
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah features large, pale-colored rocks with a rounded rock on top. From a distance, this area looks like a forest full of giant stone mushrooms. Additionally, there are countless petrified tree stumps and fossilized remains of prehistoric creatures that once roamed this desolate desert area.
The colorful rugged lands, fun-shaped towers, and eroded sandstone beaches are enough to win over souls who love to explore and adventure.
This is a prime location for scientists to investigate and was once the favorite haunt of world-famous “dinosaur hunter” Charles Hazelius Sternberg. Highlights of his collection are on display at Sweden’s Museum of Evolution, including 75-million-year-old skulls and bones of dinosaurs, crocodiles and turtles.
Getting to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is not an easy journey. Visitors must travel far into the dry San Juan Basin, down a series of bumpy, unpaved roads, with no bathrooms or places to buy food or water. If your car breaks down or is lost, it will likely take you a long time to find help.
Despite the difficulties, those who have fallen in love with the beauty of Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah have concluded that the trekking expedition to this arid region is worth it.
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is the ideal destination for seasoned travelers. The prickly, wild and magical beauty of Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is sure to create an unforgettable memory for anyone who has set foot here.
