Valley of Dreams East

Total Miles
19.9

Elevation

2,123.20 ft

Duration

0.75 Hours

Technical Rating

2

Easy

Best Time

Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter

Trail Overview

This is a point-to-point route that takes you from Road 550 in Nageezi to the Valley of Dreams trailhead/parking lot. The first quarter to half mile or so is paved but quickly turns to a graded dirt road which gets increasingly less groomed the closer you get to the trailhead. Rutted and rough in places, towards the end, it's two dirt tracks cutting through the desert. This shouldn't require 4WD and could probably be done in a sedan that has a little bit higher clearance, so long as you take it slow and choose your routes on the road wisely to avoid the worst of the ruts and potholes. Just when you start doubting this is really how to get there, the Valley of Dreams sign will confirm you have indeed made it to the right place and you can park. From there, a hike of about 3.5 miles roundtrip goes north across white clay and sandstone and through washes to see some amazing hoodoo formations in an incredibly surreal landscape.

Photos of Valley of Dreams East

Valley of Dreams East
Valley of Dreams East

Difficulty

This trail is through flat desert for the most part. The biggest concerns are deep ruts, potholes, and potential foliage and brush growing in between the ruts towards the end of the trail. The parking area is unmarked and can be sandy. Be aware that adverse weather will greatly increase the rating and difficulty.

Technical Rating

2

Access Description

Heading south from Bloomfield, turn west immediately after the Blanco Trading Post. Please note, while there does appear to be other routes to take that turn off of 550 further north, recently they have been gated.

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