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Cellpic Sunday—Dunes of the Rio Salado

A Sentinel Above the Rio Salado

March 2026.
Walking Sands Rest Area, New Mexico.

On our journey back to Fargo in March, we happened upon a rest area that immediately struck me as a future “Cellpic Sunday” stop. We pulled off northbound I-25 at mile marker 167, between Socorro and Albuquerque. The unique shelter architecture behind the Walking Sands Rest Area (also known as Sevilleta Rest Area) caught my eye, and climbing the stairs to the viewing platforms revealed the surrounding sand dunes.

Looking east, I found my composition—a lone desert shrub sat at the crest of a dune, framed against the pale sand and blue sky. In the distance, the Los Pinos Mountains rise above the valley, with Chupadera Peak just visible on the horizon. In researching this post, I learned that the broader views of the dunes are actually from the southbound side of I‑25. I’ll have to make a point of stopping there on a future trip for a follow‑up Cellpic Sunday.

Walking Sands Rest Area
The story of the dunes

Near the parking area, a large placard tells the story of the Rio Salado Sand Dunes. The nearby Rio Salado (“Salty River”) drops dry sediment that the prevailing winds sweep across this stretch of the desert. Over time, those winds have pushed the sand northeastward, piling it into the low, rolling dunes that line the valley floor.

About the photos: I used my Samsung S25 Ultra with the Expert RAW app to capture DNG files, which I processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic. The ultra-wide rear camera’s automatic exposure at ISO 40 (f/1.9, 1/3500 sec) delivered a wide depth of field and a completely noise‑free image. For the featured photo, I straightened the composition using the Auto setting in the Transform tool, cropped it to a 16×9 aspect ratio, and finished it with the Adaptive Color preset. You can view the metadata and the photos in 2K HD in my Flickr gallery here.

We are on our annual autumn road trip; today’s post is scheduled on a driving day. Feel free to comment, but I may be slow to respond.

I invite fellow bloggers to join in by creating their own Cellpic Sunday posts. There’s no set theme. The first rule: your photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or other mobile device. The second rule: link your challenge response to this post or drop a comment here with your link so others can find it. And remember, despite the name, there’s no penalty for sharing on a day other than Sunday.

John Steiner.

38 comments

  5. Amazing photos, John. Your eature image gave a sense of the vastness of the dunes and the landscape with the perspective of that lone tree in the background.
    Thank you for the great lesson in composition and depth of field and for sharing your editing wisdom.

    Reply

  15. John, Great capture of that lone tree on the sand dune. I love when an interstate rest stop has a great view and an interpretive sign to let travelers know something about where they are. I can only imagine how many people stop there and don’t take the time to look around.

    Reply

  18. What a lovely discovery during a roadside stop, John. I enjoyed learning how sediment from the Rio Salado becomes part of these dunes as the wind carries it across the valley. Your account is a good reminder to take a little time to explore the places we usually drive past. Wishing you a wonderful autumn road trip!

    Reply

  21. We need to stop more at the interesting places, not just gas stations and restaurants. I love how you build these little moments into each trip. The sand dunes – all dunes are so desolate to look at, yet inviting at the same time. I remember running down a coastal sand dune, and I thought I was going to have a heart attack going back up. I was about 50 something at the time and in good shape. I give sand dunes my utmost respect.

    Reply

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