Incredible Rock Formations in the Valley of Dreams

 

Fantastic rock formations in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Fantastic rock formations in the Valley of Dreams

Last week, I posted about our trek to and through the Valley of Dreams East.  As spectacular as it is, even more interesting (to me, at least!) was the Valley of Dreams.  It’s only about 1.25 miles down the wash from the Valley of Dreams East.  The formations are in some ways more concentrated, and there’s a lot more variety in the formations to gawk at.  Overall, it’s just a cooler place to be.  The entire area is a maze of toadstools, crazily eroded formations, little windows, petrified wood, and more, so it can take some time to explore (I’m sure I didn’t do the exploration justice!)

 

Quick Stats

Round Trip Length: ~4+ miles Trail Type: Out & back with many spurs Elevation Change: Depends on route Fees: None

 



 

Pillar formation in and amongst the other formations in the Valley of Dream, Ah-Shi-She-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Pillar formation in and amongst the other formations

Before we begin, here are some things to remember…

White rock formation with a gold top in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Wilderness

White rock formation with a gold top

Note that the area where you park is on private land or possibly right on the edge of BLM land.  It’s ok to park there, but use even greater respect than you would on public land.  It’s what keeps these areas open to the public, like you and me.

Before the sun came out in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Before the sun came out

Also note that the Valley of Dreams is in the middle of absolute nowhere.  And I mean that.  You’re miles and miles from any kind of civilization.  Come prepared!

The skies begin to clear around the rock formations in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

The skies begin to clear

The roads are all dirt.  In general, most of the roads could have been traversed in a low-clearance vehicle.  We did just fine in our high-clearance E-150, though there were two sandy sections between the two parking areas that scared us half silly (I missed the first parking area, so I thought we were still fine until suddenly we were charging through the sand – thankfully the van handled it ok, though I give the credit to that in part to the driver who is used to driving Dodge vans in conditions usually not quite as bad as this.)

Toadstools. They would have been nicer in the sunshine in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Toadstools. They would have been nicer in the sunshine.

Car GPSes won’t get you there.  The roads are extremely confusing, and GPSes make it worse.  Honestly.  Our Garman was constantly taking us on roads that didn’t exist, even straight through people’s houses, then missing the existence of perfect good roads.  It was a nightmare we got through more through intuition and a variety of maps I had printed of the web than because of our road GPS.  I did plug what coordinates I had into my hiking GPS, so we at least knew where we were trying to get to.

Sun filtering through the clouds over the New Mexican Desert near the Valley of Dreams in the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness

The sunshine is coming!

All roads are impassible in wet conditions.  Please do not drive on them when wet!  It’s more than you getting stuck or not getting stuck; it’s about keeping the roads open to public use, and if we leave ruts, or get stuck, it’s highly likely the roads will be closed (by hook or by crook, so to speak) by land owners.

A big, balancing ball of rock in the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

A big, balancing ball of rock

There are no trails.  That said, there is a road and a wash to follow.  So while it’s not real likely that you will get lost, it’s altogether possible.  Come prepared with lifesaving essentials, including a good compass and good map of the area (and know how to use them!).  A hiking GPS, properly used, is also useful.

The sun shines on the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

The sun shines on the Valley of Dreams

And now, for the hiking directions:

 

From the either parking area, continue walking north-ish on the road.  It is vague, but still there.  There will be some reddish hills on your right.  After rounding a black badland hill, the road will cross a very wide wash.  Turn right (east) here for the Valley of Dreams East.  For the Valley of Dreams, turn left (west) down the wash.

Petrified wood in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Petrified wood in the Valley of Dreams

I recommend not walking directly in the bottom of the wash.  It’s the way I came back, and while it’s certainly one way to do it, it’s a lot more winding than heading in a generally straight direction with the bottom of the wash on your left.  You will probably find some very light social trails heading generally west.  You’re heading for a yellowish hill in the distance, on the north side of the wash.

A lone formation set apart from the main hill of the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

A lone formation set apart from the main hill

You’ll know when you’ve hit the Valley of Dreams, which really should be called the Hill of Dreams, because it’s all centered around a low, yellow hill.  There are formations galore.  I scrambled up between the formations on the southern side of the hill and found even more formations.  The whole place was crazy with formations!

Some of the formations on the south side of the hill that is the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Some of the formations on the south side of the hill

There were also whole logs petrified and buried in and amongst the formations.  I’ve never seen anything like it: just like wood I’d find in a forest, but it’s rock.  One looked like it had been cut cleanly in half, but I’d guess it was really broken after becoming rock.  Looking through my pictures for the post, I found logs I hadn’t even realized where there in real life.

A very poor picture of one of the petrified logs - both ends are still buried in the dirt, while the middle has been uncovered by water running down a drainage. Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

A very poor picture of one of the petrified logs – both ends are still buried in the dirt, while the middle has been uncovered by water running down a drainage.

Scramble to the north side to see the Alien Throne (one of the few formations I was able to identify from information off the internet).  There are many toadstools here, along with a cool window or two.  Honestly, the whole area could have been other-worldly!

The Alien Throne in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

The Alien Throne

Unfortunately, the weather was a little iffy while I was hiking at first while we were in the Valley of Dreams.  The sun came out eventually, but some of the pictures are better than others.

Cool formations, though the sun hadn't caught up with us yet, Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Cool formations, though the sun hadn’t caught up with us yet

Heading further west, the dirt turns to white.  I really liked the white formations with gold tops at the far end of where I explored.

Gold-topped rock formations at the western end of the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Gold-topped rock formations at the western end of the Valley of Dreams

About then, one of my group members caught up with me and said there was a guy who wanted to talk with me about my blog.  Always happy to chat hiking, I scrambled back through the formations to meet Frank Ruggles, the former official national park photographer, and a couple of his friends.  Check out Frank’s photography on his website; it’s fantastic!

A little bit of petrified wood in the foreground of rock formations at the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

A little bit of petrified wood in the foreground

We walked back via the twisting wash.  I’m not sure it was the best way to go, but it wasn’t too difficult walking, either.  Just make sure you pick up the road back to your vehicle, or you’ll find yourself in the wash near the Valley of Dreams East!

One of my group exploring the formations on the northern side of the hill that is the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

One of my group exploring the formations on the northern side of the hill

Round Trip Trail Length: At least 4 miles (considering where we parked).  It’s all relative depending on how you walk and where you go.

Elevation Change: Not a whole lot.  It depends on how much you scramble around.

Facilities: None.  Did you read about how it’s in the middle of “absolute nowhere”?

Fees: None

Trail Notes: I’ve already put most of the notes in the upper part of the post, but remember that you’re totally alone out here and don’t expect rescue or cell service if something goes wrong.  Be used to wayfinding in the desert before you attempt this – there are no trails and it’s not that easy to locate.

Rock formations behind rock formations beyond rock formations in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Rock formations behind rock formations beyond rock formations

GPS Coordinates for the Valley of Dreams East

Road to the Valley of Dreams: 36.1240833°, -107.9801833° (N36° 07.445′ W107° 58.811′ / 36°07’26.7000″, -107°58’48.6600″) (6,257ft.)

Beginning (where we parked): 36.1407333°, -107.9666333° (N36° 08.444′ W107° 57.998′ / 36°08’26.6400″, -107°57’59.8800″) (6,169ft.) (0.0) (end 5.88)

Hill Between Valley of Dreams: 36.1488167°, -107.9801667° (N36° 08.929′ W107° 58.810′ / 36°08’55.7400″, -107°58’48.6000″) (6,187ft.) (2.92)

Rock formations in the Valley of Dreams that remind me of Canyonlands, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Rock formations that remind me of Canyonlands

Getting to the Valley of Dreams East

From Bloomfield, NM, drive 28 miles south on US-550S.  Turn right onto NM-57 for 21.1 miles.  Turn right onto Rt 7022 (though Google marks it as 7870 – the road is marked) for 1.8 miles to turn right on an unmarked dirt road (intersection is approximately 36.1240833°, -107.9801833° (N36° 07.445′ W107° 58.811′ / 36°07’26.7000″, -107°58’48.6600″)).  Follow the road 1.6 miles and park in the small dirt/desert area that could be a parking area just before the “road” crosses what looks like a small drainage and becomes noticeably worse.  I saw that a jeep had driven down to the wash, itself, but I wouldn’t recommend that for a lot of reasons (including environmental).

Along the north side of the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Along the north side of the Valley of Dreams

From Farmington: Follow NM-371 S for 45 miles.  Turn left onto County Road 7650 for 7.8 miles, then turn right on another well-maintained dirt road (I believe it is signed as CR-7870).  Follow this road about 5 miles to an unmarked road on left at 36.1240833°, -107.9801833° (N36° 07.445′ W107° 58.811′ / 36°07’26.7000″, -107°58’48.6600″).  Follow the road 1.6 miles and park in the small dirt/desert area that could be a parking area just before the “road” crosses what looks like a small drainage and becomes noticeably worse.  I saw that a jeep had driven down to the wash, itself, but I wouldn’t recommend that for a lot of reasons (including environmental).

Two rock formations in the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Two rock formations in the Valley of Dreams

From the road to Chaco: This is possible, but not fun.  It is impossible without high clearance; 4×4 highly recommended (this was how I came in, so I know what it’s like!)  Follow the signs for Chaco from US-550.  After 17 miles on the dirt road, you will cross a wash.  Very shortly after rising out of the wash, a very primitive road will go off on the right (west) side of the road.  Turn onto this road; be very careful to take the routes that follow the wash, but do not go into the wash or cross the wash (there are several primitive roads in this area leading in various directions).  The road will eventually improve and you should be able to tell which way to go.  Google calls the better road that you are on CR-7980.  If you have any questions on which way to go, stay on the south side of the wash, but don’t stray too far from the wash, either.  After about 6.5 miles, CR-7980 will T into NM-57.  Turn right and almost immediately cross the wash.  Only 0.7 miles later, turn left onto Rt-7022 (aka 7870 – the road is marked) for 1.8 miles to turn right on an unmarked dirt road (intersection is approximately 36.1240833°, -107.9801833° (N36° 07.445′ W107° 58.811′ / 36°07’26.7000″, -107°58’48.6600″)).  Follow the road 1.6 miles and park in the small dirt/desert area that could be a parking area just before the “road” crosses what looks like a small drainage and becomes noticeably worse.  I saw that a jeep had driven down to the wash, itself, but I wouldn’t recommend that for a lot of reasons (including environmental).

Yucca on the hill above the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Yucca on the hill above the Valley of Dreams

If you don’t have high clearance / 4×4: Find a small roughed up spot that could be a parking area about 1 mile from the final road junction.  This will avoid the sandy spots.

Rock formations at the northwestern end of the Valley of Dreams, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Rock formations at the northwestern end of the Valley of Dreams

If you come in via NM-57 from the north, or if you continue north on NM-57 if coming from the south, you’ll pass the parking area for the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area.  It’s well-marked and might be another worthy place to hike! (Approx. 36.139912, -107.920714 (36 08.39472′, -107 55.24284′ / 36 08’23.6832″, -107 55’14.5704″))

Visual trail map of my trek to the Valley of Dreams (elevation profile for both the Valley of Dreams and the Valley of Dreams East), Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, New Mexico

Visual trail map of my trek to the Valley of Dreams (elevation profile for both the Valley of Dreams and the Valley of Dreams East)


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One thought on “Incredible Rock Formations in the Valley of Dreams

  1. Pingback: Trusting God in the Wilderness - Anne's Travels

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