Daytime Moon Over Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
Earth and Moon at Tent Rocks
Checking off Another Bucket List Location: Tent Rocks, New Mexico
For years, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was sitting right at the top of my Southwestern bucket list. When I first tried to visit, I was disappointed to find the entire area closed to mitigate overvisitation and allow the environment to recover. So, when it reopened, securing the required permits from both the Pueblo de Cochiti and the Bureau of Land Management felt like winning a minor lottery. Walking between these towering, cone-shaped rock formations is surreal; the scale alone leaves you feeling delightfully small against the sheer expanse of the New Mexico sky.
These distinct hoodoos were formed six to seven million years ago by explosive volcanic eruptions in the Jemez volcanic field. Layers of pumice, ash, and tuff deposited over time were sculptured by wind and water, leaving behind these remarkable tepee-like structures. Sitting on Cochiti Pueblo ancestral land, the monument holds deep cultural significance, making the opportunity to tread lightly here even more special.
Standing along the trail, I framed these sweeping stone spires jutting upward against a rich, deep blue sky. Catching the gibbous moon hanging above the peaks brought a touch of celestial magic to an already dramatic earthbound landscape. Framing this shot meant balancing the earth and sky, capturing the detailed sedimentary bands in the stone while letting the daylight moon anchor the top of the frame.
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