Turquoise Trail and Sandia Crest

This Drive Comes From...

National Geographic Driving Guide: Southwest

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A pleasant alternative to I-25, the Turquoise Trail connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe, passing through several small mining towns that retain the charm of the Old West. The route’s highlight is the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway, a side road that shoots up nearly 4,000 feet [1,219 meters] through Cibola National Forest to the top of 10,678-foot [3,254.7-meter] Sandia Crest for spectacular views of Albuquerque. In its 14-mile [22.5-kilometer] length, the side road curves through four life zones, the equivalent of driving from New Mexico to Canada’s Hudson Bay. CONTINUED

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The route begins in Tijeras, a small town that’s home to a ranger station of the Cibola National Forest (11776 Hwy. 337. +1 505 281 3304) and an interpretive walk through the archaeological site of the Tijeras Pueblo, where several hundred people lived 600 years ago. Rte. 14 ascends from Tijeras across the eastern flank of the Sandia Mountains and through ponderosa pines to busy Cedar Crest, a suburb of Albuquerque.
After nearly 4 miles [6.4 kilometers], Rte. 536 (the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway) leads northwest to Sandia Crest. About a mile up [1.6 kilometer], the byway passes the Tinkertown Museum (+1 505 281 5233. April-Oct.; $2.50 adults, $1 children), a kitschy private museum with a Western town and miniature circus in a building made from 40,000 bottles. For the next 6.5 miles [10.5 kilometers] the road curves past several rest stops and the Sandia Peak Ski Area (+1 505 242 9052), developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1938. At 8,651 feet [2,636.8 meters], the Balsam Glade Picnic Ground has tables beneath a thick stand of ponderosa pines. (Here, dirt-and-gravel Rte. 165 descends 5 miles [8 kilometers] into Las Huertas Canyon to the trailhead for Sandia Cave. A gentle, 1-mile [1.6-kilometer] trail leads to the cave, site of famous archaeological excavations that revealed human occupation some 12,000 years ago.)
Back on Rte. 536, the road continues to climb to Sandia Crest, where an observation deck affords spectacular views of Albuquerque, the Rio Grande, and distant Mount Taylor. In addition to a restaurant, the peak offers several good hikes, including the Peak Nature Trail, an easy half-mile [0.8-kilometer] loop along the limestone ledge and through stands of spruce and fir. Retrace the route back to the Turquoise Trail.

The Turquoise Trail winds for another 44 miles [70.8 kilometers] through a rolling desert of stunted pinyon pine and juniper, passing the dusty former boomtowns of Golden; Madrid, with its craft shops and New Age artists; and Cerrillos, once boasting 21 saloons and four hotels catering to prospectors. The towns along the trail now draw Hollywood film crews. The Turquoise Trail ends at I-25, just south of the lively, historical state capital, Santa Fe.