Everyone has an impression of what they think New Mexico looks like, and yet, are pleasantly surprised when they actually do visit.   Usually associated with UFO crashes and Ballon Festivals, New Mexico is often overlooked as a place to find some of the best driving roads.  There is no one specific area where you will find the best drives in New Mexico.  The best New Mexico road trips can revolve around exploring desert terrain populated with cactus and coyotes endlessly chasing roadrunners.

Or the best road trips in New Mexico could entail your path stretching out into the distance, with endless views of valleys and mountains that you are about to traverse.

Or, the best New Mexico drives can include deep mountain canyons with unique rock formations and trout streams running along side.

Or, the best scenic drives in New Mexico can include high mountain passes filled with dense pine tree forests where bears roam.

So if you are preparing for a road trip in New Mexico, be ready for a wide ranging experience.  It doesn’t matter if you are looking for the best New Mexico driving roads or the best New Mexico Motorcycle roads, a New Mexico road trip is alway worth the time and effort.

Winding your way along New Mexico roads is an enjoyable experience.  It does not matter if you are looking to visit massive sand dunes where you can sled down the side, visit a haunted hotel for a fantastic meal, explore art work in the numerous art colonies, visit deep river canyons, or stop along side the road and go trout fishing.  New Mexico will surely surprise and please you at the same time.

When you are ready to make the commitment to enjoy the scenic drives in New Mexico, let RoadsToGo New Mexico road videos help in identifying the roads you wish to explore.

FOREST SERVICE ROAD 1 (Camp May Road)

New Mexico Forest Service Road 1 is also known as Camp May Road.  This great New Mexico driving road begins in the town of Los Alamos, climbs into the mountains at the edge of town, eventually ending at the Pajarito Mountain Ski Resort.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 3

New Mexico State Highway 3 is located just East of the famous tourist town of Santa Fe.  This great New Mexico driving road is remote enough that it is devoid of tourist traffic and used primarily by locals.  With the mountains of Santa Fe in the distance, this great little driving road offers some great scenic views.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 4 (Jemez Mountain Scenic Byway)

New Mexico State Highway 4 is also known as the Jemez Mountain Scenic Byway.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 68 mile stretch of road that offers a scenic alternative method for gaining access to the town of Los Alamos.  Combining deep canyons, lush forests, high mountain passes, and high mountain meadows, makes for a great road trip adventure.

NEW MEXICO HIGHWAY 14 (Turquoise Trail)

New Mexico State Highway 14 is also known as the Turquoise Trial.  This road is a 50 mile stretch of great New Mexico driving road filled with hills, curves, and quant artist towns, that takes you from Albuquerque to the tourist town of Santa Fe.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 15 (Trail of the Mountain Spirit National Scenic Byway)

New Mexico State Highway 15 is also known as the Trail of the Mountain Spirit National Byway.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 45 mile stretch of road that begins in the town of Silver City, and ends at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 24

New Mexico State Highway 24 is a 23 mile stretch of road running through the Lincoln National Forest to the remote town of Pinon.  The initial portion of this road trip involves climbing out of Cox Canyon offering panoramic views of the surrounding area.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 35

New Mexico State Highway 35 is a 25 mile stretch of road running through the Gila National Forest.  This great New Mexico driving road provides a unique combination of rock formations, curves, forest, high mountain pastures, with a few scenic views thrown in for good measure.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 38 (Enchanted Circle)

New Mexico State Highway 38 is one of three portions of the Enchanted Circle in the Taos New Mexico area.  Starting in the town of Questa, this 30 mile stretch of great New Mexico driving road climbs to Bobcat Pass before dropping down to the town of Eagle Nest.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 52 and NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 59

(Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway and Beayerhead Road)

New Mexico State Highway 52 is also known as the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, and New Mexico State Highway 59 is also known as Beayerhead Road.  Combined together, these two great New Mexico driving roads are a 75 mile stretch of road that runs through the Gila National Forest.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 63 (Pecos River Road)

New Mexico State Highway 63 is also known as the Pecos River Road.  Starting in the town of Pecos, this section of great New Mexico driving road is a 19 mile stretch of pavement that runs through the Santa Fe National Forest, to the town of Cowles.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 65 (Montezuma Highway)

New Mexico State Highway 65 is also known as the Montezuma Highway.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 16 mile stretch of pavement that runs from the city of Las Vegas New Mexico, through the Santa Fe National Forest, to where the road ends.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 76 (High Road to Taos)

New Mexico State Highway 76 is part of what is known as the High Road to Taos.  This 25 miles of great New Mexico driving road begins just North of Santa Fe, dramatically climbs uphill providing spectacular views, passes through lush green forest, as you make your way towards the town of Taos.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 82 (Cloudcroft Highway)

New Mexico State Highway is also known as the Cloudcroft Highway.  This 35 mile stretch of great New Mexico driving road runs through the Lincoln National Forest where you encounter the quaint tourist town of Cloudcroft, before dramatically dropping off the mountain towards the town of Alamogordo and the White Sands National Monument.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 91

New Mexico State Highway 91 is a 10 mile stretch of great driving road with smooth winding curves, as it gracefully makes its way through unique rock formations.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 104

New Mexico State Highway 104 is a 70 miles stretch of great driving road that traverses across the plains of Eastern New Mexico.  After enjoying the grand vistas as far as the eye can see, the road dramatically drops to the valley floor below while clinging to side of the cliff.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 130

New Mexico State Highway 130 is a 22 mile stretch of great driving road that runs through the Lincoln National Forest.  This fun and twisty road trip begins in the tourist town of Cloudcroft, and snakes its way to the town of Mayhill.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 137 (Queens Highway)

New Mexico State Highway 137 is also known as the Queens Highway.  This remote great New Mexico driving road is a 50 mile stretch of pavement that runs along the backside of the Carlsbad Cavern, and Guadalupe Mountain National Parks.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 150 (Taos Ski Valley Road)

New Mexico State Highway 150 is also known as the Taos Ski Valley Road.  This great New Mexico driving road begins in the fun tourist town of Taos, dives into a deep canyon, and then begins the uphill climb through the Carson National Forest on its way to the Taos Valley Ski Resort.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 152 (Emory Pass Road)

New Mexico State Highway 152 is also known as Emory Pass Road.  This great New Mexico driving road quickly climbs into the mountains of the Gila National Forest, crosses the summit at Emory Pass, and then gracefully descends into the high desert outside of Truth or Consequences.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 159

New Mexico State Highway 159 is a 10 mile stretch of great driving road located just North of the town of Glenwood.  This road is best for smaller vehicles, and could cause issues for larger vehicles since turing around is required.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 196 (Rio Costilla Canyon Road)

New Mexico State Highway 196 is also known as Rio Costilla Road.  When combined with Ski Rio Road, these two great New Mexico driving roads provide a 10 mile stretch of twists, turns, and magnificent scenery.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 244 (Silver Springs Canyon Road)

New Mexico State Highway 244 is also known as Silver Springs Canyon Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 35 mile stretch of pavement that begins in the tourist town of Cloudcroft and quickly depends the mountain top through a series of fun twists and turns.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHW 283 (San Geronimo Road)

New Mexico State Highway 283 is also known as San Geronimo Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 14 mile stretch of pavement that runs from the city of Las Vegas New Mexico towards the ghost town of San Geronimo.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 434 (Guadalupita Highway)

New Mexico State Highway 434 is also known as the Guadalupita Highway.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 34 mile stretch of pavement, running from the town of Mora, climbing through the mountains to the ski resort town of Angel Fire.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 435

New Mexico State Highway 435, is a 10 mile stretch of great driving road that begins in the town of Reserve and runs along the perimeter of Turkey Park.  This road offers fantastic scenic views, but is a little rough for low profile vehicles.  This great road is better suited for motorcycles, and continues past the 10 mile mark, however, we stopped at 10 miles, since the pavement was getting too rough for normal vehicles.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 475 (Santa Fe Ski Basin Road and Hyde Park Road)

New Mexico State Highway 475 is also known as either Santa Fe Ski Basin Road, or Hyde Park Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 15 mile stretch of pavement which begins in the town of Santa Fe, climbs through the mountains of the Santa Fe National Forest, on its way to the Santa Fe Ski Area.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 485 (Gilman Tunnel Road)

New Mexico State Highway 485 is also known as Gilman Tunnel Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 5 mile stretch of road pavement running through a scenic and deep rich red canyon, eventually terminating just past the old Gilman railroad tunnels.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 503 (Cundiyo Road)

New Mexico State Highway 503 is also known as Cundiyo Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 16 mile stretch of pavement between Santa Fe and Taos, offering twists, turns, and scenic views of the mountains around Santa Fe and Taos.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 511 (Navajo Lake Triangle)

New Mexico State Highway 511 is part of the Navajo Lake Triangle driving route.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 16 mile stretch of road, however, when combined with the other portions of the Navajo Lake Triangle route, this great road trip becomes a 35 mile adventure through Northwestern New Mexico.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 518 (Petaco Highway)

New Mexico State Highway 518 is also known as Petaco Highway.  This great New Mexico driving road is 45 miles of pavement with fun twists and turns, fantastic scenic views, and elevation changes, that runs from the city of Taos to Mora.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 522 (Enchanted Circle)

New Mexico State Highway 522 is one of three portions of the Enchanted Circle in the Taos New Mexico area.  Starting in the town of Taos, this 24 mile stretch of great New Mexico driving road is a high speed adventure, with a mix of graceful curves and scenic views.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 532 (Ski Apache Road)

New Mexico State Highway 532 is also known as Ski Apache Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 12 mile stretch of pavement snaking through the Lincoln National Forest on its way up the mountain to the popular Ski Apache ski area.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 536 (Sandia Crest Road)

New Mexico State Highway 536 is also known as the Sandia Crest Road.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 14 mile stretch that begins in the town of San Antonio New Mexico, snakes through the Cibola National Forest on its way to the summit of Sandia Peak where the views of Albuquerque below are absolutely spectacular.

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 539 (Navajo Lake Triangle)

New Mexico State Highway 539 is part of the Navajo Lake Triangle driving route.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 6 mile stretch of road, however, when combined with the other portions of the Navajo Lake Triangle route, this great road trip becomes a 35 mile adventure through Northwestern New Mexico.

 

NEW MEXICO STATE HIGHWAY 6563 and FOREST SERVICE ROAD 537

(Sunspot Scenic Byway and Sacramento Canyon Road)

New Mexico State Highway 6563 and Forest Service Road 537 are also known as the Sunspot Scenic Byway and the Sacramento Canyon Road.  Combined together, these two great New Mexico driving roads are a 30 mile stretch of road running from the town of Cloudcroft to the town of Timberon.  Along the way, be sure to stop by the observatory to enjoy the view across White Sands National Monument in the valley below.

 

US HIGHWAY 64 (Eagle Nest to Cimarron)

This portion of US Highway 64 from the town of Eagle Nest to Cimarron is a great New Mexico driving road that runs past beautiful high mountain lakes, high mountain prairies, and then performs a twisted descent off the mountain while engulfed by a lush green forest.

US HIGHWAY 64 (Enchanted Circle)

This piece of US Highway 64 is one of three portions of the Enchanted Circle in the Taos New Mexico area.  Starting in the town of Eagle Nest, this 35 mile stretch of a great New Mexico driving road initially climbs into the mountains to Palo Flechado Pass through a series of hard, sharp switchback corners.  At the pass, the road immediately begins the decent towards the city of Taos.

 

US HIGHWAY 64 (Navajo Lake Triangle)

This piece of US Highway 64 is part of the Navajo Lake Triangle driving route.  This great New Mexico driving road is a 13 mile stretch of road, however, when combined with the other portions of the Navajo Lake Triangle route, this great road trip becomes a 35 mile adventure through Northwestern New Mexico.

 

US HIGHWAY 180

This section of US Highway 180 is a 120 mile stretch of road that runs through the Gila National Forest from Alpine Arizona to Silver City New Mexico.  This great New Mexico driving road is filled with lush green mountain forests, meadows, elevation changes, twists and turns, while surrounded by mountains and other great driving roads.

 

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