New Mexico features 26 recognized State Scenic Byways

(continued from Page 30) feel as you take in the fantastically shaped, eroded rock formations in these badlands to the north of Chaco where your journey began.

Southwest: Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway

Distance: 138 miles

Drive time: full day end-to-end, with stops

The drive: The Geronimo Trail has its own visitor center inside the Lee Belle Johnson Center at 301 S. Foch (at Sims), between Main and Broadway, in downtown Truth or Consequences as well as a comprehensive website, https:// geronimotrail.com. The trail passes through mountain forests of the Gila Wilderness, dry desert and scrub-dotted hills, rugged canyons, quaint towns, and two of the largest lakes in New Mexico. While the T or C visitor center is a sensible place to start for maps and information, it is also inconveniently located in the middle of the trail. This forces you to head either north or south and then backtrack. From end to end, the trail runs from San Lorenzo on Hwy 152 at the south tip to Beaverhead, via Highways 52 and 59, at the north end. The visitor center is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway gets its name from the famous Apache warrior, who was born in the Gila Wilderness Area in the 1820s. The visitor center in T or C tells his story in detail. While in town, consider a soak in the mineral hot springs for which it is known before spending the day in the car.

Heading south from T or C before you pick up Hwy 152 to head west, you’ll have a chance to stop at Percha Dam State Park along the Rio Grande near Caballo. For birders, it’s a best-kept secret as it has been designated by Audubon as an “Important Birding Area.” You can also fish or swim in the river or hike alongside it in the shade of huge cottonwoods.

From there, ascend from the Rio Grande Valley through ranch country and over the Black Range Mountains through Emory Pass, which offers a scenic overlook at 8,000 feet.

Along the way are the artist’s community of Hillsboro and old mining town Kingston. Hillsboro’s 120-year-old General Store is now a restaurant.

Down the road, consider a detour to two mountain peaks –Hillsboro Peak to the north and Sawyers Peak to the south. Each is about five miles from the Emory Pass Scenic View. Be aware that the last half mile to Hillsboro at 10,000-foot elevation is steep. There is ample opportunity for hiking in these remote and pristine wilderness areas. The terrain changes from mountainous to gentle slopes as you head toward San Lorenzo, the terminus of this arm of the byway. However, you can turn north toward San Lorenzo on NM 35 to access an adjoining scenic trail, the Trail of the Mountain Spirits National Scenic Byway.

A side trip in this area is the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a 42-room collection of homes which the Mogollon people constructed in five spacious sandstone caves in the heart of the Gila Forest. The drive is a one-mile loop up a shady canyon and is accessible from San Lorenzo on Hwy. 35, or by continuing past the Byway’s San Lorenzo end on Hwy. 152, according to the NM Department of Transportation. For more on this unique site and the people who lived there as early as the 13th century, visit https:// www.nps.gov/gicl/index.htm.

From T or C heading north is the 40,000-acre Elephant Butte Lake State Park, which contains the largest lake in the state. As such, Elephant Butte is New Mexico’s main water sports destination, with boating, fishing, water-skiing, canoeing, swimming, and more. The lake, which gets its name from a rock formation that resembles an elephant, offers 200 miles of shoreline, beaches, and coves. The park’s visitor center contains interpretive exhibits of the geology, history, and ecology of the area, once home to the fierce Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur. Admission / park fees cost $5 per car. Annual day use park passes cost $40. Call (575) 744-5421 for information.

Several tiny villages and a few ghost towns dot the way from the lake on up to Beaverhead and may be worth brief stops depending on your interests. For example, Chloride, once known for silver production, contains several restored buildings from its mining heyday, and its Pioneer Store is now a world-class museum on the New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs’ list of Historic Places.

If you have time, consider taking a side trip to hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. It crosses Rt. 59 near Beaverhead and cuts across the center ridgeline of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness then into the Gila National Forest, according to https://geronimotrail.com/. Along the way is breathtaking scenery, and you have a good chance of spotting wildlife such as deer, elk and wild turkey.

Northeast: Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway

Distance: 283 miles

Drive time: Two days, depending on your number of stops

The drive: The New Mexico portion of this trail is part of

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