The dramatic landscapes of New Mexico provide unforgettable sightseeing adventures to the legions of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians that explore the state's system of scenic byways, from Route 66 to the old Santa Fe Trail, and many paths in between.
- Posts: 13 -
Abo Pass Trail Scenic Byway
Central Region: Belen
The Abo Pass Trail Scenic Byway (31 miles; N.M. 47 and U.S. 60) connects the El Camino Real National Scenic Byway and the Salt Missions Trail Scenic Byway. Start your journey in Belen, settled as a farming and railroad community in the Rio Grande Valley. Traveling southeast, the road crosses Read more…
Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
Central Region: AlbuquerqueSouth Valley
The area’s rural agricultural heritage and its connection to the historic Camino Real (17th to 19th centuries) provide it with the potential for noteworthy cultural landscapes. This cultural byway has significance not only for the South Valley community but for the Albuquerque region and state of New Mexico as a Read more…
El Camino Real National Scenic Byway
South Region: Las Cruces
Stretching over 200 miles, the route has been of great importance to New Mexico for centuries. Today the byway connects multiple New Mexico MainStreet districts, traveling through Las Cruces, Truth or Consequences, Belen and Albuquerque. “In 1598, Don Juan de Onate led 500 colonists through the remote and unfamiliar country, Read more…
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
North Region: Taos
This 84-mile loop takes the visitor though some of New Mexico’s spectacular high country. Much of the Byway traverses land formerly part of the Maxwell Land Grant, once the largest private individual holding in the western hemisphere. See ghost towns, ski resorts, and landscapes that have inspired artists from film Read more…
Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway
Southwest Region: Truth or Consequences
The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway is named for Geronimo, a famous Apache warrior. He was born Goyakla, meaning “one who yawns” in the 1820s near the headwaters of the Gila River. This would be in the Gila Wilderness area of Southwestern New Mexico today. He was born into the Bedonkohe Read more…
La Frontera Del Llano Scenic Byway
Northeast Region: Harding County
La Frontera del Llano Scenic Byway (the edge of the plains in Spanish) starts at Abbott, a place you’d think wouldn’t warrant a name if there weren’t a sign there to prove it. Most of the byway (NM 39) runs through Harding County, where cattle outnumber people seven to one. Read more…
Route 66 National Scenic Byway
Central Region: Albuquerque
Route 66 is a cultural icon of the automobile age. The whole route famously winds “from Chicago to L.A.,” crossing New Mexico from east to west. The Mother Route crosses through several MainStreet communities: Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Grants and Gallup. Albuquerque is a four-way crossroads of Route 66 in New Mexico, Read more…
Route 66 Scenic Byway
Northwest Region: Gallup
Constructed 1927. Historic Route 66 in Gallup is evident on the four-lane Historic Rt. 66 street and also on Coal Ave., one block south. The old highway split up into complementary one way routes from its origins. In few cities, can one experience as much of the original flavor of Read more…
Route 66 Scenic Byway
West Region: Grants
Constructed 1927. Historic Route 66 in Grants became known as Santa Fe Blvd. The highway has a long history with Grants, even as the community has seen boom and bust days due the uranium mining industry. The Grants area also grew crops, famously carrots, before industrial agriculture reduced the markets. Read more…
Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway
Northeast Region: Raton
The Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway passes through multiple New Mexico MainStreet communities. The historic trail had two routes over time: the Mountain Route that went through Raton with its important pass into Colorado; and the Cimarron Route, which cut across the eastern plains of New Mexico and passed Read more…