San Juan County, New Mexico
Northern New Mexico is crisscrossed with hundreds of miles of dirt roads built over the last 60 years to provide wilderness access to oil and gas companies. The roads provide access to beautiful places that are visibly ruined by the access.
All of these photos were taken in San Juan County. Less than 6% of the land in the county is privately owned. The area is full of amazing artifacts, gorgeous rock formations, and cows grazing on arid BLM land. It’s lovelier than lots of national parks.
If you ever get a chance to visit, bring plenty of water and prepare to be awed, saddened, and totally hooked.
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This is my contribution to American Guide Week (November 15-21), a really interesting collaborative project that lives here.
