Start planning the ultimate road trip in New Mexico

04.12.2024 - 09:05 / lonelyplanet.com / Cole

Dec 3, 2024 • 6 min read

The Land of Enchantment will have you under its spell as soon as you get behind the wheel. This geographical fantasy land offers otherworldly landscapes, giant granite bluffs, peculiar-shaped hoodoos and vast dusty desert panoramas on its road trips. It’s got ancient dwellings to tour, adobe structures to visit, and ghost towns rich with old Southwest history to roam, plus vibey ski towns, high altitude slopes and dazzling pine-forest mountain views.

The best bit? This is the United States' fifth largest state but only has 2 million residents, meaning roads out of the cities are virtually empty – its most spectacular stretches of asphalt are a dream to drive in any type of vehicle.

These five are some of my favorite routes.

Vintage charm, nostalgia and Americana by the bucket-load

Tucumcari - Defiance, 320 miles, allow 2-3 days

The legendary "Mother Road", which opened in 1926 crossing eight states and covering over 2400 miles, once went from Chicago to Santa Monica running 465 miles through the middle of the New Mexico from east to west (with a U-bend in the middle, later becoming an S-shape near Albuquerque). Now there are only 300 miles of the route left in the 47th state, with parts intersected by Interstate 40, but in the words of Nat King Cole it is still possible to get your “kicks on Route 66”. Much of the original scenery – including dramatic mountain views and high prairies – plus nostalgic elements remain.

You'll find retro motels, neon signs and vintage diners in the old Southwestern boomtowns along the route. Stop at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, see classics, lowriders and muscle cars in Route 66 Auto Museum in Santa Rosa, eat breakfast at the all-American Owls Cafe diner in Albuquerque, snap a picture under the lit-up neon Route 66 sign in Grants, get Navajo rugs and western gear at Richardson’s Trading Company then hangout like the 1930s and ‘40s movie stars at the western El Rancho Hotel in Gallup.

Best for volcanic cliffs, hot springs and awesome geological features

San Ysidro - Bandelier National Monument; 45 miles, allow 1-2 days

Take your time on this sublime route, which winds into the forested wilderness and volcanic peaks of Jemez Mountains, passing through the colorful red sandstone mesas of Jemez Pueblo, and meandering to the cute settlement of Jemez Springs. Save time for a soak at the awesome Jemez Springs Bath House here, fed by natural piping-hot natural springs. Over the road, the Los Ojos saloon is an atmospheric spot for a bite, decorated with mounted guns and animal heads. 

Continue winding up the road, next to the rushing Jemez River waters, past Jemez Soda Dam – a collection of hot springs with a peculiar 50ft-tall calcium carbonate and