There are a multitude of scenic road trips within the state. I will point out and describe a few as well as the areas to stay in your RV overnight.
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
This loop stretches around Wheeler Peak-the highest peak in New Mexico. A variety of adventures line this scenic byway. Anything from hiking, fishing, camping, lodging and golfing, this byway provides an amazing trip for any traveler.
The historic towns that line this byway provide excellent accommodations and a native flair like no other. Travelers will find native food, crafts and excellent skiing that provides fun for the entire family.
It is a mountainous loop 84 miles in length. The highways you take are NM 38, US 64. It connects Angel Fire, Taos, Red River, and Eagle Nest.
Here are some things to see and do on the route:
Millicent Rogers Museum
Five miles north of Taos, the museum features the art of northern New Mexico. Displays include Native American textiles, basketry, jewelry, and paintings. The museum is open daily from 9 am to 5 p.m. This is a great representation of art in the area and if you are going to one -this is a great one.
Taos Ski Valley
This side-trip takes you off the Enchanted Circle, but if you have the time, the half-hour drive into the valley is worth while.
This is New Mexico’s best downhill ski area. It also serves as a base for outdoor activity in the summer with hiking trails fanning out through the Carson National Forest. The vertical drop is 2,612 feet, and the longest run is a long 5.2 miles.
At the base are condo accommodations, restaurants, and bars. To get there, turn right (east) onto N.M. Route 150. The ski area is 19.5 miles from downtown Taos.
The Wheeler Peak Wilderness is a superb scenic recreation area, accessed mainly through Taos Ski Valley. As you continue your drive around the Enchanted Circle, you can see the peak northwest of Eagle Nest. The peak, at 13,161 feet, is the state’s highest mountain.
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
Just north of the little town of Questa, State Route 378 leads west, through the village of Cerro, to the Rio Grande Wild River Recreation Area -- 8 miles west of Highway 522. The recreation area includes the Rio Grande Gorge. This area has fine scenery and striking geological features, in addition to Indian rock pictographs. The recreation sites managed by the B.L.M., includes a visitor center, campground, and picnic area. You can look into the gorge from viewpoints or hike down to the river level.
There’s a seven-mile round trip hike leading into the Rio Grande Canyon here. The hike starts from a trailhead at the Big Arsenic Springs Campground.
To get there, drive from Questa on State Route 522 for about 5.5 miles, to the road which leads to the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River (a sign is at the turnoff). Another great view of the river, at the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge, is found on Highway 64, just west of the junction with Highway 522. Turn at the light located north of the Taos Pueblo turnoff.
Valle Vidal Route
Settlers, Ranchers and the Colfax County War
This loop, to the north of and longer than the Enchanted Circle, offers superb views of vast open spaces, high Rocky Mountain peaks, wildlife (including a magnificent heed of elk and wild birds), and reminders of the early frontier days of Northern New Mexico—an era dominated by mining, lumbering, and ranching.
What is now called the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest was once the huge Maxwell Land Grant—two million acres—deeded by the Mexican Government in 1841 to Charles Beaubien and Guadalupe Miranda. When the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846, Miranda returned to Mexico while Beaubien, loyal to the United States, stayed in New Mexico. Beaubien’s daughter Luz married Illinois fur trapper Lucien Maxwell and the couple settled here, establishing a ranch. Maxwell began buying adjacent properties in 1864, following his father-in-law’s death, and wound up owning the whole grant—the size of Rhode Island.
Then, in 1870, Maxwell sold the land to an English syndicate. It was later sold to a Dutch firm. A local war then broke out, fueled by the owners’ demand that the ranchers and other settlers who lived on the land leave. They had built homes with Maxwell’s assent, and were not prepared to leave. The Colfax County war ensued, pitting the remaining settlers against the Dutch company which was victorious in 1887, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the company. By the turn of the century, the land was subdivided. New ranches were opened, loggers came to topple trees, and a private organization established a private retreat. 200,000 acres of the original land grant was used by members of the Vermejo Park Club, including Hollywood celebrities the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Cecil B. DeMille, and others including Herbert Hoover, Andrew Mellon and Harvey Firestone. The Depression saw the closing of the club and the property reverted to ranching uses.
The Vermejo Park property and other lands—totaling almost one million acres—were eventually bought by Texas magnate W.J. Gourley. Wanting to expand the small existing elk herd, he purchased several hundred elk from Yellowstone National Park (at $5 per head). He also bred and raised wild turkeys, in order to increase the wild bird population. Gourley died in 1970; the land was then sold to the Pennzoil Company, which donated 100,000 acres to the Forest Service in 1982.
The prime job for the Forest Service now is wildlife preservation, although the land grant area is also used for ranching.
D.H. Lawrence Shrine and Red River Fish Hatchery
Kiowa Ranch, once ownedby novelist D. H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, in 1924 and 1925. Frieda continued to live at the ranch after the author’s death. She later married Angelo Ravagli. In 1934, they built a shrine for Lawrence’s ashes
The shrine on San Cristobal Road is open daily.
Red River Fish Hatchery Two miles north of Questa on N.M. 515. The hatchery rears trout and is open daily. The visitor center features a display on the fish-rearing process, with a free self-guiding tour.
Red River Resort
In the forests of the Red River Valley, this rustic and informal town provides a getaway for those who want the sophistication of the ritzier ski and summer resorts. This popular summer and winter resort offers excellent stream and lake fishing, guest ranches, and hotels. The ski area is right in town. Wheeler Peak is to the southeast. Restaurants here are steak and barbecue cuisine, and there are several small cafes serving “down-home food.” This is a great place to stay for a thorough exploration of the region.
Eagle Nest Lake
Eagle Nest Lake: This popular fishing lake is leased for public fishing by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The lake is also a mecca for windsurfers. If you wish to wander farther, the Wild West town of Cimmaron is located east of Eagle Nest, via Highway 64.
Angel Fire
Angel Fire, another noted ski area, is located 26 miles east of Taos—via N.M. Route 68 and then south for 4 miles on N.M. Route 75. With a vertical drop of 2,180 feet, runs up to 3.5 miles, and a cross-country ski center, Angel Fire offers just about everything (including golf when the snow has disappeared).
Angel Fire is a very scenic resort town. Summer activities include golfing, hiking, and mountain biking. The ski area is a popular alternative to Taos Ski Valley, and you’ll find good accommodations (motels, condo units) in the little town.
Campgrounds
- Orilla Verde Recreation Area
- The south end of the county.
Wild Rivers Recreation Area
- In Cerro, 5 miles north of Questa, take State Road 378 west about 10 miles.
The recreation area has five developed campgrounds and a picnic area, each with tables, grills, drinking water and restroom facilities. Camping is permitted in designated sites only.
- Carson National Forest
- Santa Barbara Campground
Turn off State Road 75 in Pena co to Rodarte, then continue on Forest Road 116 to the campground, which is about 12 miles southeast of Peñasco.
The campground is right next to the Río Santa Barbara, and trailheads are a stone’s throw away. The 22-site campground has toilets and drinking water. It allows trailers fewer than 32 feet long.
Located 5.1 miles east of Questa on State Road 38.Seven campsites for trailers, 20 campsites for tents or trailers. Drinking water.
For More Information:
- Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce 505-377-6661
- Carson National Forest (Taos office) 505-758-6200
- Eagle Nest Chamber of Commerce 800-494-9117, 505-476-8000
- Red River Chamber of Commerce 800-348-6444, 505-754-2366
Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway
The Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway in Union and Colfax counties is a step back in western history. This trip could be taken in one pack-filled day or two leisurely days. This is an excellent trip to take with children, with many ingredients to make the trip educational, fun, and moderately priced. A child can see actual Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts, wander through an old mining camp, see dinosaur tracks and walk into the crater of a volcano.
It is 215 road miles in New Mexico, 80 miles in Colorado, and 75 in Oklahoma.
Coal Camp: Ten miles from Raton, in Colfax County, is the Sugarite Canyon State Park. Start your historical journey by pausing near the park entrance to view the old buildings and rock foundation—the remains of the Sugarite Coal Camp, which was in operation between 1910 and 1941. At its peak, the camp population approached 1,000, many of whom were European and Far Eastern immigrants. Miners relied on mules to pull carts laden with coal out from the depths of the Sugarite Mines. A scenic hike through the camp ruins provides a glimpse of community life of these miners.
Lake Maloya and Lake Alice: Continue into Sugarite Canyon State Park to explore the ruins of abandoned coal camps as well as hike the park’s numerous trails, or fish from shore or from electric-powered boats.
Yankee: Begin your driving east on Hwy 72 in the Yankee area and take time to experience grassy meadows and local wildlife in the solitude of nature. Be aware that as early settlers moved along the trails west, that the “sea of grass” was so tall and thick that at times it was necessary to resort to navigate by means of compass!
Folsom Falls: A natural spring-fed waterfall on the Dry Cimarron River is located four miles northeast of Folsom, New Mexico, on Hwy 456. It is a favorite fishing hole and picnic grounds. Services available in Folsom include a restaurant, post office, public telephone. The Folsom Museum, with its western memorabilia and information about ancient Folsom Man, is especially a hit with children.
Toll-gate Canyon: Turn north on Hwy 456 at Folsom, and then follow Hwy 551 through Toll-Gate Canyon. Here a historical marker explains the unique history of this famous wagon trail. Charles Goodnight trailed many herds of cattle from Texas to Wyoming from 1866 to 1869. He thought the toll was too high to go through Raton Pass, and found another pass to travel. It came north from the Canadian River toward Capulin Crater, went west and dropped down to the Dry Cimarron about 1.5 miles west of Folsom, the Picketwire River in Colorado and on to Wyoming. Trinchera Pass was an easier grade than Raton Pass and free of tolls. This became known as the Goodnight Trail (1867-76).
Travessier: Continue east on NM456, crossing the Dry Cimarron River several times. At Travessier, is a picturesque overlook, which is the entrance into the Dry Cimarron Valley.
Battleship: Shortly, on the north side you will see a particular colored sandstone formation that has the appearance of a battleship, like the “Maine.” The Dry Cimarron Valley boasts a number of unusual works of nature such as this.
Wedding Cake: Again on the north side of the route, this round mound rising about 300 feet above the valley floor, with its grass covered slope and red, white and brown layers of sandy rock is aptly named because it appears to be a large layered cake. In early days, many couples exchanged wedding vows atop this interesting geographic formation.
McNees Crossing: Just before the Oklahoma border, turn right (south) on Hwy 406 towards McNees Crossing. A state historic sign sits in the actual “ruts” of the Santa Fe Trail. A short distance to the north is a gate (close it). To the east is a windmill and nearby is a small marker erected in 1921 on the 90th anniversary of the first celebration of the Fourth of July in what is now New Mexico. The trail crosses the North Canadian River, which is also called “Corrumpa Creek by people who live in the area. The crossing is named for a young scout of an east-bound caravan who was killed in the autumn of 1828 by natives.
However, it is only three miles to Kenton, Oklahoma. Kenton operates in the Mountain Time Zone; but Central Time prevails at some indistinct point to the east. Once you have crossed the state line on a bridge over a creek the highway number changes from NM 456 to OK 325. You fill find something to eat at Kenton but no gasoline. The Kenton and Kenton Mercantile Museums are an unexpected treat and well worth a look-see.
rom the Kenton neighborhood, there are a couple of detour options to explore Baca County in extreme southeastern Colorado. About a mile east of Kenton, there is a paved road plainly marked “Colorado”. This will take you to some interesting dinosaur tracks in a creek bed and to the northern section of Oklahoma’s Black Mesa State Park.
Black Mesa is similar to Johnson Mesa only bigger. It is called Mesa de Mayo in Colorado and New Mexico. It contains the highest point in Oklahoma at 4,973 feet above sea level. The point, a 4.3-mile hike, hosts a native granite monument. The climb up the talus slope is advertised as “strenuous.” The Nature Conservancy-owned area is home to 31 rare species, 23 plants, eight animals, and the ubiquitous rattlesnake. For the more sedate traveler, however, it is just a few more miles by vehicle to the marker where you may have your picture taken simultaneously in the great states of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado. The road from the tri-state marker on CO 8 leads to the Carrizo Canyon Picnic Area.
Baca County Road M takes you to CO 13 which you can also catch from another Colorado highway east of Kenton off OK 325 that turns into CO 13, County Road G, and CO 18 leading south to Crack Cave and Picture Canyon. Here you will find, having asked of the National Grassland office in Springfield, several natural attractions such as the Natural Arch, Balanced Rock, and Hell’s Half Acre. The scenic canyon is known for its petroglyphs and the so-called Celtic Ogham Writings. There is a 2.6-mile loop trail. Facilities include covered picnic tables and a vault-type toilet.
Otherwise, from Kenton heading east on OK 325, you might want to stop at The Old Maid and take a quick peek into the Dinosaur Quarry. But do turn south at the Wedding Party and take in Oklahoma’s Lake Carl Etling State Park. Stop at the Petrified Forest. Lake Etling offers outstanding fishing. Interestingly, New Mexico state record walleye have been taken from Clayton Lake and the Oklahoma records have come from Lake Etling. There is a convenience store at the south end of the lake on the road that connects once again with 325.
There is a well-interpreted roadside park on OK 325 where the Santa Fe Trail crosses this highway. Privately owned Autograph Rock, 580-544-3344, is near by as is Camp Nichols, which is not available to the public. Boise City has all the amenities for the weary traveler or supplies for those exploring the Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway starting from that end. The Cimarron Heritage Center Museum is a good point to start or end this day trip.
Its 48 miles back to Clayton on US 56-64, where you will find the Herzstein Museum, and 83 miles back to Raton on US 64-87
Taken in part from www.newmexico.com – Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway
For More Information:
Cimarron County Chamber of Commerce
- 6 Northeast Square
- Boise City, OK 73933
- 580-544-3344
Clayton-Union County Chamber of Commerce
- 1103 South First Street
- Clayton, NM 88415
- 505-374-9253
Campgrounds
- Cimarron Canyon State Park, (505) 377-6271
The Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was the first of America’s great Trans-Mississippi routes. The trail, including the Mountain and Cimarron routes, crossed over 1,200 miles from Franklin, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 1821 to 1880, it was an important two-way avenue for commerce and cultural exchange among Spanish, Indian, and American cultures.
The area around the Santa Fe Trail boasts over 20 Historic Districts and over 30 individual sites that are recorded on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of these sites are directly related to the Santa Fe Trail.
The New Mexico portion of the Santa Fe Trail consists of about 400 miles or pure history. The Santa Fe Trail came into existence as a trade route with William Becknell’s journey in 1821 from Old Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. His arrival coincided with Mexico’s independence from Spain and therefore trade with the United States, which had been forbidden under Spanish rule, was now possible. The Santa Fe Trail covered 900 miles through five states including Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico. It served as an international trade route until 1879 when the first locomotive of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad reached New Mexico. Many communities today owe their existence to the original Santa Fe Trail.
The Santa Fe Trail was used by Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny during the war with Mexico in 1846, when he led his troops down the Santa Fe Trail and marched without armed opposition into Santa Fe. Military forts were built to protect trade caravans. In 1862, during the Civil War the Santa Fe Trail was again involved in military incursions and important battles were fought at Glorieta Pass and Apache Canyon.
Where do you begin in the exploration of this area of New Mexico? Try right in Santa Fe. Get out on the road early and travel north along Interstate 25. Your first stop will be at Pecos National Historic Park, where you’ll want to spend some time learning about the ruins of a 14th century Indian pueblo and two 17th century Franciscan missions which crown a fortress like hill in the verdant Pecos River Valley.
Your next stop should be in Las Vegas. No, not THAT Las Vegas. New Mexico has a fantastic wildlife refuge, worth the stop and exploration along the .5 mile trail. Plan about 2 hours here.
The afternoon will find you going north still on I-25. Passing Buena Vista and coming into Fort Union National Monument. Don’t forget to stop here! The remains of this star shaped fort are a fantastic site.
The Santa Fe Trail Museum should be your next stop as you approach the town of Springer, and the major highway junction. Enjoy the Kiowa National Grassland as you drive to the border and the town Clayton. While here, don’t forget to stop and enjoy Clayton Lake State Park.
Next, leaving the byway for a few miles, take Highway 64 up to Raton. A fun experience at the Sugarite Canyon State Park is guaranteed. Then, back on the Byway, hop on Hwy. 64 going south through Cimmaron. This drive is fantastic and takes you through the the Cimmarron Canyon State Park. At this point, you may choose to head over to Taos and enjoy the museums and ghost towns there, or head back to Santa Fe.
Campgrounds
Clayton Lake State Park
www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks/PAGES/PARKS/CLAYTON/Clayton.htm
Taos
There are four RV campgrounds in the area of the town of Taos, and the Sierra Village Vacation Park five miles east of Taos on U.S. 64 (505-758-3660). For more information on RV camping, call the Taos Visitors Center at 505-758-3873.
Santa Fe
Rancheros De Santa Fe Camping Park
Santa Fe Skies RV Park
Santa Fe KOA
Whether it is a few hours day trip or a few days, there are a multitude of areas to explore and be mystified by in this land of Enchantment.
For more road trip ideas in New Mexico and beyond:
http://www.byways.org/index.html
http://www.milebymile.com/
- Much of the trip info is taken from
- Utah State University and Multimedia Data Services Corporation.
- Copyright © 1996 - 2002 National Scenic Byways Online
Eileen Richardson
