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Wandering New Mexico with David Ryan: Paliza Canyon Goblin Colony
The Paliza Canyon Goblin Colony, in the southern Jemez Mountains, is an amazing place to explore. There you’ll find an array of twisted and altered volcanic tuff, or hardened ash, formations consisting of Easter Island statues, goblins, gargoyles, giant termite mounds and other weird shapes. Even stranger, these formations only seem to be found in a remote 40-acre corner of the Jemez Mountains.
The moderate four-mile round-trip hike to this special corner of the world follows an abandoned Forest Service road with a mixture of piñon, juniper, ponderosa, Gambel oak and clearings where pumice was once quarried. After half a mile, you’ll reach a stream with running water and places where you can pitch a tent. After a mile, you’ll see an old road going off to the right. Stay to the left and go straight. You’ll pass through a volcanic dike, and in 1.5 miles the old road heads to the right. Follow the unmarked path to your left.
You are at the base of the Goblin Colony. Without any formal trails here, this is the ultimate place for wandering and exploring. So just start wandering but respect the fragility of the formations. When you’ve had enough, return the same way you came in. If you have climbed near the top, you can follow the road beyond the ridge back to your car.
