Day 6: Santa Fe, NM to Kayenta, AZ
Read MoreAngel Peak Scenic Area, New Mexico
At 6,988 feet, Angel Peak is only a minor summit, rising just a little way above the high desert plains of northwest New Mexico, and sits in the middle of a rolling expanse of pastel-colored badlands, cliffs and dry washes, similar to the Bisti and De-Na-Zin wilderness areas 25 miles southwest - all are part of a general collection of eroded landscapes known as the San Juan Basin Badlands. The undulating scenery around Angel Peak lacks the great variety of hoodoos found elsewhere in the basin, so the place is not as good for hiking or photography, yet the region is peaceful, desolate and empty, well worth visiting for a few hours or staying overnight; most is protected as a BLM Scenic Area which has several excellent free campsites on promontories above the badlands.