Scenic Byways, Historical Routes
and Walking Tours
Adventure and history can be
found along 3,531 miles of road in the Land of Enchantment. The
roads of New Mexico have a wonderful tale to tell. New Mexico
boasts 26 scenic byways - eight with national scenic byway recognition.
Historic walking tours are offered in many of the older cities.
So, fill up the car, or put on the good walking shoes, and plan
to enjoy the history of the old west.
National Designated Scenic Byways / New Mexico
State Designated Scenic Byways / More
Tour Ideas
America's Byways
- National Scenic Byways
The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department
of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program
is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize,
preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States.
Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding
for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects
in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes
certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways
based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural,
recreational and scenic qualities. Visit the National
Scenic Byways Web site to learn more about this program.
New Mexico's currently has eight
byways that have National Scenic Byways status. They are listed
below. If the byway does not have its own personal Web site,
they have been linked to the National Scenic Byways site at www.byways.org.
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- Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway -
Lincoln County, in south central New Mexico, is rich in history.
Many historical people and events call this county home. Billy
the Kid, the Lincoln County War, the Mescalero Apache tribe,
Kit Carson, "Black Jack" Pershing, the Buffalo Soldiers,
the world's richest Quarter Horse race and Smokey Bear are all
examples of the history you will find there. Take an online "tour"
of the communities along the Byway and then make a plan to visit
this great historical area.
- El Camino Real National Historic Trail -"The
Royal Road" is a National Scenic and Historic Byway that
runs from Ciudad Juárez to Santa Fe, NM. It was once the
main roadway for travelers and settlers to New Mexico. Visit
the attached Web site to learn about its fascinating history
and get maps. The newest New Mexico State Monument is also the
new visitor center - El
Camino Real International Heritage Center, located near
Socorro, NM. Plan to visit this wonderful interpretive center
while on your travels.
- Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway - Ghost towns, cliff dwellings, lakes
and rivers, historic churches and lots of history. The Geronimo
Trail Scenic Byway is located in southwestern New Mexico. It
covers terrain from dry desert to mountain forests to scrub-dotted
hills, and spans many different life zones. There are several
interesting and beautiful side-trips which can be taken as well.
Please visit the Geronimo Trails Web site for much more information
and where to begin!
- Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway -
With its amazing geological formations, ancient Indian ruins,
an Indian pueblo, and the remainders of the area's logging, mining
and ranching heritage, the Jemez Mountain Trail is not to be
missed. Much of the region is now a National Recreation Area
and there are many opportunities for hiking, fishing, camping,
and cross- country skiing. The Jemez Mountains are also famous
for their natural hot springs. Visit the Web site for more details.
- Route 66 Historic Trail -
Route 66 means different things to different people, but freedom
is always a common theme. The trail runs from Chicago to Los
Angeles with a great show in New Mexico! For maps, information,
and history about this historic route, visit the Web site.
- Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway -
a great resource of links to the places you can see along the
Santa Fe Trail. Museums, wildlife, historic hotels, old churches
and more!! So get in the car this weekend! You are in for a treat!
- Trail of the Mountain Spirits - 93
miles of history and wilderness. Lakes, Gila Cliff Dwellings,
Continental Divide, Gila Wilderness, the historic mining town
of Pinos Altos, Chino Copper Mines, Fort Bayard, and more.
- Turquoise Trail - This scenic and historic area encompasses 15,000
square miles in the heart of central New Mexico, linking Albuquerque
and Santa Fe. Enjoy a breathtaking view from atop Sandia Crest,
the magnificent summit of the Sandia Mountains in the Cibola
National Forest. Then drive back into history through the mining
towns of Golden, Madrid and Cerrillos, now coming alive with
art and crafts, theater, music, museums and restaurants. Back
roads often lead to great discoveries. Venture off the freeway
and onto the Turquoise Trail, and you'll see what this means.
(505) 281-5233
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New Mexico State
Designated Scenic Byways
- Abo Pass Trail - An important segment of a Native American trade
route first established in 1450 A.D., it eventually became part
of a trade corridor which linked the Pueblos and the Plains Indians
to El Camino Real and a network of trails throughout the Southwest.
Runs through Socorro, Torrance, and Valencia counties for 31
miles. Visit the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sevilleta
National Wildlife Refuge, and enjoy the beauty of the Manzano
Mountains
- Corrales Road Scenic and Historic Byway - Short in length, but long in beauty,
this 6 1/2 mile trail has birds, bosques, vineyards, old churches
and more. NM Route 448 near Corrales, NM
- Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway - Old West history abounds on this 192
mile route through out the farthest northeastern corner of New
Mexico. Some of its famous stops include: Battleship Rock and
Wedding Cake geologic formations ; Capulin Volcano National Monument;
Clayton Lake State Park; Folsom Museum; Kiowa National Grasslands;
McNees Crossing; the Santa Fe Trail; and Sugarite Canyon State
Park.
- Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway - A beautiful, 85-mile drive if you
like to view alpine valleys, wild flowers, clear blue lakes,
evergreen forests, and historic western communities. The route
circles the states highest mountain, Wheeler Peak and travels
through the Carson National Forest. Other stops and diversions
along the way could include: the famous Taos Pueblo, which is
near the awesome Rio Grande Gorge Bridge; Elizabethtown; Eagle
Nest Lake; the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial just west of
Angel Fire; Angel Fire Resort; D.H. Lawrence Ranch;
Taos Ski Valley; Red River Ski Area; and the Enchanted Forest
Cross Country Ski Area.
- Guadalupe Back Country Byway - This byway is on NM 137 in southern
New Mexico. It begins at the NM 137/US 285 junction near Brantley
Dam State Park, 12 miles north of Carlsbad, and proceeds southwest
to Sitting Bull Falls in the Lincoln National Forest.
- High Road to Taos - A very interesting and historical
area, steeped in Spanish culture. Some of the sights along the
way include: Nambé Pueblo; Nambé Falls; Picuris
Pueblo; Pot Creek Cultural Site; San Francisco de Asis Church;
San José Gracia church, Las Trampas; and Santuario de
Chimayo. You will drive through the Santa Fe and Carson National
forests.
- La Frontera del Llano Byway - If you like nature, you will enjoy
almost 95 miles of natural scenic beauty. With stops such as
Conchas Lake and Ute Lake state parks, as well as Kiowa National
Grasslands, you can experience the natural wild west. Mostly
ranching communities in northeast New Mexico's Harding County.
- Lake Valley Back Country Byway - A scenic loop of about 47 miles, the
Lake Valley Back Country Byway travels through the wilderness
of the Black Range; through the historic villages of Kingston
and Hillsboro, once thriving mining towns; and don't forget to
stop at the Lake Valley ghost town, owned by the Bureau of Land
Management, which offers a free self-guided walking tour (505-915-5603;
open 9:00 to 4:00; closed Tuesday and Wednesday). The schoolhouse
museum (which is still used for weddings and dances, by appointment)
is the place to start - Lake Valley artifacts are displayed inside.
- Mesalands Scenic Byway - In eastern New Mexico, this byway
is about dinosaurs! The complex byway loops on several roads
around I-40. It passes through Santa Rosa, where you can scuba
dive at the Blue Hole. It then dips down to Puerto, figure-eights
around Ragland, into Tucumcari (historic Rt. 66 and home of the
Mesalands Dinosaur Museum), continues through Conchas, Newkirk,
Wheatland, San Jose, and Logan, and terminates at Glenrio. Visit
the linked Web site for a lot more historic and visiting information.
- Narrow Gauge Scenic Byway - A short drive (about 9 miles) but
long in railroad history. The Cumbres-Toltec railroad lines offer
summer train rides through some awesome mountain passes. It doesn't
take a railroad buff to enjoy the sound of a steam engine and
the rhythmic clack of wheels on the narrow gauge. For more information
call, in Chama (505) 756-2151, or Durango-Silverton (888) 872-4607
in Durango, Colorado, for information and reservations. Also,
visit the Jicarilla Apache Reservation and the Southern Ute Reservation.
The Utes are the oldest continuous living residents of Colorado.
- Native Heritage Trail -
As the name suggests, this 665 mile scenic route may be the most
historically significant route in New Mexico. The several day
trail will take you past such historic stops as: Aztec Ruins
National Monument; Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave; Bisti/De-na-zin
Wilderness; Chaco Canyon National Historical Park; Crownpoint,
which has a world famous rug auction; El Malpais National Monument;
El Morro National Monument; Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park; San
Juan River, famous amongst fly fishers for its quality waters;
Shiprock, a ship shaped volcanic plug; Toadlena Trading Post,
where natives trade rugs for goods and services, and where famous
Two Grey Hills weavings can be found; and the Zuni Pueblo, the
legendary “Seven Cities of Gold” sought by Vasquez
de Coronado.
- Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway - Located totally on the Santa Clara
Pueblo in north central New Mexico, the Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway
boasts fishing, and 12th century cliff dwellings. These ancient
dwellings were carved into the jagged volcanic tufa (a rock formed
from compressed volcanic ash and cinders) and were eventually
expanded to include adobe structures along the slopes and atop
the numerous mesas. Also, artists and artisans living in the
pueblo, sell their famous redware pottery, carved blackware and
much more.
- Quebradas Back Country Byway -
An unpaved county road traversing about 24 miles of rugged, colorful
landscapes east of Socorro. Two National Wildlife Refuges are
only a few miles from this byway - Sevilleta to the north and
Bosque del Apache to the south. Photography, rock hounding, hiking,
wildlife watching, hunting, cultural sightseeing and backcountry
vehicle touring are among the many recreational opportunities.
The Socorro Fat Tire Festival includes the Quebradas Backcountry
Byway on the itinerary of its annual mountain bike race.
- Salt Missions Trail -
10,000 years ago the Estancia Valley, of central New Mexico,
was a salt water ocean. When the water evaporated, salt was left
behind, which later became a useful trading item amongst various
tribes in the area. Because of this important commodity, the
trail was once an important trade route. Today, as you drive
this route through the Cibola National Forest and Manzano Mountains,
be sure to stop and visit the Quarai ruins of the Salinas National
Monument; the old Shaffer hotel in Mountainair; take a free,
self-guided tour through the 80 rooms of the Tijeras Pueblo,
a large pueblo from the 1200s until 1435; and be sure to notice
some of the Route 66 architecture of past times.
- Sandia Crest Byway - Short
and sweet, this byway is the highest scenic drive in the southwest!
A little more that 13.6 miles uphill, the Sandia Crest Byway
takes you through the Cibola National Forest to the Sandia Peak
Ski Area, Capulin Snowplay Area, Sandia Peak Tramway and even
a gift shop and restaurant on top! Be sure to stop off at Tinkertown,
a private roadside museum with an animated village of carved
wooden miniatures by Ross Ward and more than 50,000 glass bottles
and other interesting stuff he has collected.
- Socorro Historic District Byway -
Spanish settlement, ranching, birding, mining and space history
all come together in and around Socorro, NM. Visit the linked
Web site for more detailed information.
- Sunspot Scenic Byway - Starting at Cloudcroft, take NM 130
to NM 6563, and drive around the rim of the Sacramento Mountains.
Along the way enjoy beautiful vistas of White Sands, the Tularosa
Basin and San Andres Mountains. There are several hiking paths,
too. The byway is officially designated N.M. 6563 – the
light wavelength in Angstroms used by scientists to locate active
areas on the Sun. So, it's fitting to stop at the National
Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak, Apache Point Observatory
at the end of this route to learn more about it. The sun telescopes
are only for the scientists, but the visitor center has some
wonderful displays and exhibits about what happens there at the
observatory.
- Wild Rivers Back Country Scenic Byway - This Back Country Scenic Byway follows
the Rio Grande Gorge. The Gorge plunges 800 feet at its deepest
point and gapes up to a mile across at its widest point. Trails
lead down into the Gorge where the adventurous can explore. One
can also stay topside and explore natures wonders there. The
Sangro De Cristo mountains to the east and volcanic mountains
to the west add beautiful variety to the countryside. Visitor
Center at the end of the route.
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More Tour Ideas
and Programs Around New Mexico
- Deming Walking Tour - An interesting
old Western town, read
about Deming history here.
- Grants
Day Tours - Acoma
Sky City / Laguna Pueblo, Ice Caves / Bandera Crater / El Morro
National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Mount
Taylor, Zuni Mountain Historic Auto Tour (see below). Greater
Grants Chamber of Commerce, Grants, NM (505) 287-4802
- La Morena Walking Tour of Historic Mesilla -
Walk with Preciliana Sandoval, a fifth generation native historian,
as she takes you on a walking tour of Old Mesilla. See historic
battle sites, hear romantic ghost stories and feel the centuries
old grace of Old Mesilla. Tours are various times from Thursday
through Sunday. Mesilla, NM (505) 647-2639
- Seven Cities of Gold - Take a journey back to Spanish explorations
of the mid 1500's.
- "YOU DRIVE, I'LL TALK" - Driving
tours of eastern New Mexico and west Texas by Sherry Barrow,
with segments about New Mexico history, culture, and personalities.
For information about free radio airings or to buy tapes of recorded
driving tours, go to her web
site or send her an
e-mail!
- Zuni Mountain Historic Auto
Tour - A 60-mile
route (about a half-day trip) that winds through scenic Zuni
Canyon into Agua Fria Valley, through the historic town of Sawyer
and back to Grants by way of Bluewater Lake. Experience the history
of the railroad, logging and mining industry of the past with
18 interesting stops along the way. Visit the only underground
uranium mining museum in the world! Suitable for mountain biking.
For more information contact the Grants Chamber of Commerce, Grants,
NM (505) 287-4802
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