NEW MEXICO

Finding Hidden Gems in the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico truly lives up to its nickname, “Land of Enchantment,” with a remarkable diversity of terrain that shifts quickly from strange badlands and white sand dunes to high meadows and mountain views, offering endless photographic possibilities.

This gallery features several of my favorite spots: the imposing Alien Throne hoodoo in the Valley of Dreams section of the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, the elegant “wings” formations of the Bisti Badlands, the bright gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument, the historic Old Barn set against the open meadows of Valles Caldera National Preserve, the refreshing desert oasis of Sitting Bull Falls, and sweeping panoramic views from Sandia Crest high in the Sandia Mountains overlooking Albuquerque.

I keep returning to New Mexico because there’s always something unexpected around the next bend. These are a few of the places that have stuck with me. I hope they convey the diverse and timeless quality of this remarkable state.

Sunset on a desert landscape with unique rock formations, with rays of the setting sun visible through a hole in one large rock formation called Alien Throne.
A desert landscape at sunset with rock formations and dramatic clouds in the sky.
Sandstone hoodoos in a desert at sunset with dramatic clouds in the sky.
A desert landscape at dusk with unique rock formations, including a tall rock pillar called Alien Throne with holes and a flat top, under a sky with purple and blue hues and scattered clouds.
A rural landscape with a dirt road, an old wooden cabin with a metal roof, a wooden fence, grassy fields, pine trees, rolling hills, and dark cloudy sky.
A rustic log cabin with a metal roof situated in a rural landscape, surrounded by grass, a wooden fence, and distant hills.
Unique rock formations in a desert landscape under a cloudy sky.
A desert landscape with unique rock formations under a cloudy sky.
A desert landscape with unique hoodoo rock formations under a cloudy sky, featuring layered sedimentary rocks and eroded formations.
A barren desert landscape with layered rock formations under a partly cloudy sky.
A rugged canyon landscape with rock formations and layered cliffs under a partly cloudy blue sky.
White sand dunes under a partly cloudy sky.
A wide view of a white sand desert under a large dark cloud with patches of blue sky and white clouds.
Snow-covered trees with the bright sun shining through, sky with clouds and distant mountains in the background.
Snow-covered mountain slope with trees, clouds below, and distant mountain and blue sky with wispy clouds.
Snow-covered trees on a mountain slope with a thick layer of clouds below, and a clear blue sky with some scattered clouds in the background.
A small waterfall cascading down moss-covered rocks surrounded by greenery.

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