The High Road to Taos, between Taos and Santa Fe, is perhaps the best-known scenic byway in this area. Directions from south to north:
From Santa Fe, follow US Highway 84/285 north through Miocene lake bed formations to Pojoaque and turn east on NM SR 503. This winding country road leads through the villages of Nambe and Cundiyo to Chimayó and SR 76, with nice views of the southern Sangre de Cristos as you go. From Española, just head east on SR 76 to Chimayó. This is a nice winding road through a scenic wooded valley past farms. In Chimayó you can visit the locally famous Santuario de Chimayó chapel and local weaving shops.
Take SR 76 east from Chimayó. This road winds through a number of small, historic farming settlements populated mainly by the Hispanic families who have lived here for generations. Leaving Chimayó, you'll wind past the village of Cordova and climb a steep route to the village of Truchas, perched on a ridge overlooking the Española Valley and with spectacular views of several nearby peaks. After Truchas, the road winds through the mountains, cutting through several small valleys along the way, each with its own village. Trampas, one such village, is notable for its large and historic church in the town plaza. Eventually, SR 76 meets SR 75 at Picuris Pueblo; you can turn left and follow the signs about a mile west to the small pueblo, which has a fishing lake and some shops selling micaceous clay pottery. To continue to Taos, turn right on SR 75 instead.
After passing through the villages of Peñasco and Vadito, SR 75 intersects with SR 518; turn left. Take 518 down the winding road out of the mountains to SR 68 at Ranchos de Taos, with the extraordinarily beautiful San Francisco de Asis Mission Church near the intersection. Turn right on SR 68 and continue into Taos, a worthy destination by itself. If you're returning to Santa Fe for the night, it's best not to retrace your steps exactly, but rather continue south on SR 68 at its intersection with SR 518 - the "Low Road to Taos" (covered below), descending along the Rio Grande back to Española where you can then get on US 84/285, which you can follow south through Pojoaque to Santa Fe.
The Low Road to Taos, also known as the main route, is another scenic drive between Santa Fe and Taos, and while it is much faster than the High Road, also offers some scenic attractions in its own right.
Starting in Española, take SR 68 north. You'll pass by the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (formerly the San Juan Pueblo) on your left, which has an arts cooperative and makes for a pleasant diversion. Continuing along SR 68, you'll pass through the villages of Alcalde and Velarde, both farming towns on the banks of the Rio Grande where there are plenty of roadside fruit stands selling locally grown fruit. There are also a couple of wineries in the area.
After Velarde, the road enters the Rio Grande Gorge and hugs the banks of the Rio for many miles to come. The scenery here is spectacular, with sheers cliffs rising above the road. Along the way, you'll pass by Embudo, most well known for the Embudo Station, an old train station (the tracks are long gone) with a collection of old buildings nearby, such as a lovely old wooden water tower. There's also an on-again, off-again restaurant operating out of Embudo Station. A couple of miles later you'll intersect with SR 75, which passes through the village of Dixon just up the road and makes for a wonderful diversion, with a great number of orchards and vineyards in town as well as several art galleries.
Continue north along SR 68 to the town of Pilar, the center for whitewater rafting in the region. If you travel this route in the spring or summer, you'll likely see rafts and kayaks making their way down the river before you get to Pilar, and the town itself has a ranger station and some camping/picnic facilities along the river nearby. After Pilar, SR 68 climbs out of the gorge with some spectacular views of the gorge northward and the surrounding mountain ranges. SR 68 continues on through Ranchos de Taos on to the destination of Taos.
The "Enchanted Circle", is a circuit around the mountains of North Central NM. Directions from Taos (although can be done from any circle community):
North from Taos on US 64 to the turn off of US 64 West, continue on NM 522 towards Questa. May detour to Rio Grande Gorge bridge on US 64, might add Millicent Rogers Museum, stop at Red River fish hatchery for more visit variety, another good addition is the "Wild & Scenic Rivers" area near Questa.
From Questa, drive East on NM 38, into the Sangre de Christos to the town of Red River along the Red River. Goes by Molycorp mine. Red River is an old mining town with many intersting sights and side trips, a winter ski area, offers numerous year round activities, and hosts a large motorsycle rally Memorial Day Weekend. One interesting access point to hiking Wheeler Peak is South of Red River on NM 578. Get detailed directions from someone before attempting this route.
From Red River continue East on NM 38 past ghost town Elizabethtown to Eagle Nest. Note many hiking almost offroad trails along the way. You'll connect with US 64 again in Eagle Nest. Eagle Nest is the Northern most point of Eagle Nest Lake. If you are continuing East on US 64 towards Raton, you go East.
We're going West on US 64 towards Angel Fire. May stop at lake for fishing or State Park site with new energy efficient headquarters. Great area information.
In Aqua Fria (cold water in spanish) is the turn off to Angel Fire Resort with golf and skiing. Also the site of Angel Fire airport for private pilots who like 8,000 foot elevation landings. The MUST see here is the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial. The first such site in the USA. Undergoing renovations 2009-2010 and remains partially open.
Continue on US 64 Westward to Taos. Circle takes from 2.5 hours with no stops to all day if you're a real explorer.
To enjoy the Jemez Mountains rather than the Sangre de Cristos, turn west on NM SR 502 at Pojoaque and proceed toward Los Alamos. There are fine views of the canyon-and-mesa country from about five miles along this road on to its intersection with NM SR 4. You can either continue on 502 to Los Alamos and beyond, or take 4 instead, passing White Rock and the turnoff for Bandelier National Monument. 502 (re-signed as SR 501 recently; route to Camp May Road and Pajarito Mountain ski area, anyway) and 4 rejoin west of Los Alamos; you can either head back to Santa Fe here, or better, continue west on 4 into the Jemez Mountains via a spectacular, winding road that is not for the acrophobic. After passing through Valles Caldera National Preserve, this road heads down the west side of the mountains through Jemez Springs and a brilliantly colored red-rock canyon to San Ysidro. Unfortunately, from here your shortest route back to Santa Fe is much less scenic: turn left on US 550 to Interstate 25 and either north to Santa Fe or south to Albuquerque and out of this region.
If traveling through the region, rather than within it, US 64 is a scenic option. Westbound, it leaves Interstate 25 near Raton in the northeastern region of the state and makes a beeline for the Sangre de Cristos, passing the towns of Cimarron, Ute Park and Eagle Nest. (If you have a few minutes, pause at Cimarron for the Philmont Ranch Road Auto Tour south of town, familiar to generations of Boy Scouts bound for the Scout camp at Philmont.) US 64 crosses the range crest at Palo Flechado Pass, itself not terribly scenic but with some pretty country nearby, and continues to Taos. After negotiating the aggravating traffic of downtown Taos, continue north and then west on 64 across the dizzying Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, through a number of small towns and scruffy mountains to Tierra Amarilla on the western edge of the region (distant views of the startling Brazos Cliffs near here).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about North Central New Mexico
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in North Central New Mexico - updated May 2024
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North Central New Mexico Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
