This Little Known Wilderness Area In New Mexico Is The Perfect Place To Get Away From It All
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Imagine standing on a mesa and turning in a slow circle. The surrounding land stretches out in every direction, a textured tapestry of hoodoos and rock formations in colors ranging from bleached cream to deep red. There isn’t another person in sight. This might sound like the opening of a New Age visualization video but it’s an accurate description of the Ojito Wilderness. There, you’ll find solitude and stark beauty in equal measure. It’s the perfect place to get away from it all.
You’d never guess that the Ojito Wilderness is within an hour’s drive of Albuquerque. These 11,000 plus acres of untamed land seem to belong on another planet – one with few if any inhabitants.
Nowadays, the Ojito Wilderness hosts more fossils than people. But the paleontological record tells us that the calm that now cloaks this old river channel and floodplain is a recent development.
In the past, this area thrummed with life in the form of marine creatures and even dinosaurs. Later, the Prehistoric Puebloan and Navajo peoples survived in this unforgiving environment - you can still spot the petroglyphs they created.
The Ojito Wilderness is a mecca for hikers and photographers alike. The latter are lured here to capture gnarled trees, badlands, and breathtaking sunsets.
Hikers appreciate Ojito for its varied and dramatic landscape of arroyos, box canyons and cliff faces, which makes a walk here feel like a true adventure.
When New Mexico designates something a wilderness area that means it’s off-grid. In the case of Ojito, that translates to no facilities, no water, and no cell service. You’re totally on your own. But isn’t that the point?
This blend of drone and timelapse footage gives an idea of the vast scale of this wilderness area.
The main entrance to the Ojito Wilderness is off U.S. 550, near San Ysidro. Make a left onto County Road 906 (also called Cabezon Road), stay to the left and then drive for about 10 miles – the wilderness area is marked with signs.
There are many gorgeous hiking trails throughout New Mexico – some in populated areas, others in truly remote ones. If you’d like to escape the bustle of city life for a longer period of time, plan a visit to one of New Mexico’s slow-paced small towns. As the 5th largest state in terms of size but only the 36th biggest in terms of population, there are no shortages of stunning retreats in the Land of Enchantment.
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