San Lorenzo Canyon is 1/2 Sevilleta NWR and 1/2 Bureau of Land Management.
As volunteers we have access to explore the Sevilleta (off limits to the public) portions. However, when interacting with the public in our visitor center, we are often asked to provide information of neat (public permitted) places to hike and explore. Once we’ve informed them of the three trails on our refuge we then point them toward San Lorenzo.
So, on this day we decided to utilize one of the refuge’s four wheel drive vehicles
to explore the area we so often send visitors to see.
Not far into our wash drive and we spot the ‘Sliced Bread Loaf’.
An example of the Rio Grande rift called an angular unconformity and a tell tale
sign that we are headed in the right direction. The tilted layers are about 7 to 10
million years old, by the way.
Stopping to admire the bread loaf the flower spotting began immediately.
This is the Cevallia Sinuata Lagasca or Stinging Serpent.
It is hard not to admire such beautiful detail.
It is in the detail where the stinging hairs are found.
After the flowers come these mop-like seeding features.
The Apache Plume plant has started showing its feathers.
A four wheel drive is not necessary to explore San Lorenzo Canyon. We would however
recommend using good judgment on how far you are willing to drive your own vehicle.
Much of the sand does get fairly soft in places so if you aren’t sure just park and hike it.
We spent time exploring and here’s a bit of what we saw.
Canyon Happy Faces
Serious Faces
A touch of fall.
Lizards
Views that command your attention.
Loads of super cool looking Tiger Moth Caterpillars
that had super long hairs and really cool neon blue color accents.
Then there was this viscous looking apparatus!
Pretty White Flowers
(Pepperweed family perhaps?)
Busy Grasshoppers
Beautiful Butterflies
Towering Sandstone
Twice-Stabbed Lady Beetle
A different kind of desert mushroom.
Melampodium Leucanthum - Blackfoot Daisy - we think?
In the Four O’Clock family?
Slot Canyons
And an overall great day exploring!