The American West is home to some of the most iconic natural wonders formed by earth and stone in the world. Monument Valley, Delicate Arch, and Devil’s Tower are renowned sites featuring Mother Nature’s magnificent architectural creations, attracting countless visitors eager to behold their beauty.
Among the most impressive landscapes in the American West lies a remote corner of New Mexico. This place is known as Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah.
The Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area is a strange land characterized by rocks shaped like mushrooms.
The Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is one of the remote and secluded lands in the Northwestern region of New Mexico. Within the area known as San Juan Basin, the geological features here have gradually transformed over time into a mystical landscape, home to bizarre rock formations.
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is distinguished by its large, pale rocks topped with round stone caps. From a distance, the area resembles a forest filled with enormous rock mushrooms. Additionally, it is home to countless petrified tree stumps and fossilized remains of prehistoric creatures that once roamed this desolate desert.
Giant mushroom-shaped rocks at Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah.
This area is also a site of many ancient animal fossils.
The rugged, multicolored lands, whimsical spires, and eroded sandstone formations here are sure to captivate adventure-loving souls.
Rocks with unique shapes.
This location is a top destination for scientists and was once a favorite spot for the world-renowned dinosaur hunter Charles Hazelius Sternberg. Highlights from his collection are displayed at the Evolution Museum in Sweden, including skulls and bones from dinosaurs, crocodiles, and turtles dating back 75 million years.
This is a top destination for scientists.
Accessing Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is not an easy journey. Visitors must venture deep into the arid San Juan basin, along a series of rugged, unpaved roads, with no restrooms or food and drink vendors. If a vehicle breaks down or one gets lost, it could take a long time to find help.
Despite the hardships, those who fall in love with the beauty of Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah unanimously agree that the trek into this arid region is entirely worth it.
Conquering Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is not an easy experience but very rewarding.
This place boasts stunning beauty – a gift for explorers.
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is the ideal destination for seasoned travelers. The rugged, desolate, and mystical beauty of Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is sure to create unforgettable memories for anyone who sets foot here.
