Santa Fe Back Roads
Excerpted from Scenic Driving New Mexico
by Laurence Parent with permission of the Globe Pequot Press

What New Mexico's capital city of Santa Fe lacks in size it more than makes up in historic and scenic punch. Seems like you can't turn around in that town without bumping into a landmark building or a dramatic vista. And the history and scenery don't stop at the city limits.

We've selected two drives that take you out of town for a fascinating exploration of New Mexico's natural beauty and rich culture. The Santa Fe Scenic Byway starts in the city's main square and in short order takes you high into the Sangre de Christo mountains. Hikers will want to wear their boots and anglers will want to take their poles for this one.

For a longer trip, the High Road to Taos makes for a day well spent. The High Road features entrancing desert scenery, interesting crafts towns, and never-boring historic interest. Plus there's some wonderful hiking opportunities awaiting on the way. . .

High Road

The fastest and most popular route between Santa Fe and Taos follows the Rio Grande Valley through Española. [Go to map for drive.] However, the High Road described here is more scenic and has a much smaller, although growing, volume of traffic. It's easy to take a full day for the drive, browsing in Chimayo shops, photographing the old churches, or hiking in the Pecos Wilderness.

From Santa Fe go north on busy, four-lane US 84/285 about 15 miles to Pojoaque. Turn east on NM 503 to Chimayo and Nambe Pueblo. For a few miles, the highway follows a small river valley with expensive homes tucked into cottonwood groves. The turnoff to Nambe Pueblo is on the right. It is one of several small Indian pueblos in the Española area. At Nambe, visitors can walk to a series of waterfalls on the Rio Nambe.

The road soon climbs out onto dry, eroded hills dotted with juniper and piñon pine. In about ten miles, the highway reaches Chimayo, a small village shaded by large cottonwoods. The old settlement, founded by the Spaniards, has long been known for its weavers. Early in the nineteenth century, residents of Santa Fe requested Spain send over experienced weavers to teach the skills of the craft to the new world settlers. Two brothers, both skilled weavers, made the journey and settled in Chimayo and taught their craft there. Chimayo has been known for weaving ever since. Ortega's is one of the best known shops where weavers have worked for many generations.

The village is also famous for its church, the Santuario de Chimayo, built by Don Bernardo Abeyta between 1813 and 1816. Legend tells that Abeyta was very ill when a vision led him to the site of the church, whereupon he was immediately cured. Filled with gratitude, he built the small sanctuary. To this day, pilgrims visit the church to collect small samples of sacred earth from a hole in the floor of a back room. Many believe that the dirt has curative powers.

Continue north through Chimayo to the junction with NM 76. Turn right toward Truchas and Taos and begin climbing higher into the foothills. To take a side trip to Santa Cruz Lake and turn right on NM 503 toward Cundiyo, after going only a couple of miles east of Chimayo. After another mile or two, turn right again on New Mexico 596 and follow signs to the lake. NM 596 makes a short, steep, and winding descent to the small lake. The Bureau of Land Management operates the relatively little-known recreation area and provides campsites, fishing, and no-wake boating. The lake, tucked into a steep-walled valley of dry eroded hills, is an unexpected sight. During the busy summer tourist season, try for a campsite here if other campgrounds are full.

NM 76 climbs steadily to the village of Truchas, a small hamlet founded by the Spanish in the 1700s. Its hilltop setting provides spectacular views of the Rio Grande Valley to the west and the 13,000-foot Truchas Peaks to the east. Robert Redford selected the picturesque town for his movie, The Milagro Beanfield War.

NM 76 enters the Carson National Forest after Truchas and passes through thick ponderosa pine groves. The tiny settlement of Las Trampas was founded in 1751 by twelve Santa Fe families. The church that they built is a fine example of eighteenth century architecture. Its outside choir loft and wooden bell towers are particularly notable.

These small Spanish-founded villages clinging to the slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are centers for the Penitente sect of the Roman Catholic Church. In the past, membership required penance of its initiates, including self-flagellation. After Archbishop Lamy learned of the practices, the church banned the Penitente societies in 1899. Their activities were driven underground until 1947 when the church again allowed Penitente practices, provided that the penances did no physical harm.

As you drive out the north side of Las Trampas look below on the right for a flume carved from a single log. Just a little farther, Forest Road 207 provides a little-known, but excellent access point to the Pecos Wilderness. Well-maintained hiking trails at the end of the road lead to the alpine Trampas and San Leonardo lakes. The tiny lakes are sparkling jewels tucked in sheer-walled valleys carved by glaciers into the towering Truchas Peaks. A rustic campground is at the trailhead.

The highway passes through the village of Chamisal before dropping down into Peñasco at the junction of NM 75. Turn right, or east, on NM 75 and drive through Peñasco and then Vadito to the junction with NM 518. While in Peñasco, you may want to take a side trip to the tiny Picuris Indian Pueblo. Another side trip, New Mexico Highway 73 on the east end of Peñasco, leads to two Forest Service campgrounds-Santa Barbara and Hodges in Rio Santa Barbara Canyon. Several scenic Pecos Wilderness trails start from Santa Barbara Canyon. The aspens and cottonwoods here paint the hills with color during the fall.

At the junction of NM 518 and NM 75 go left on NM 518 toward Taos. The highway climbs up through the Carson National Forest and over a low pass, U.S. Hill. A turnout at U.S. Hill provides good views of the forested mountains. From the pass, the highway descends down a valley to the end of the drive at the junction with New Mexico Highway 68. Ranchos de Taos is just to the left along NM 68. Be sure to visit the old village, founded in about 1716. The church, built in the 1770s, was constructed of four- foot-thick adobe walls with massive curving buttresses. Large wooden vigas, or beams, support the roof. The structure is probably one of the most photographed and painted churches in the United States.

The center of Taos lies about 3.5 miles north along NM 68. With its many galleries, shops, restaurants, historic sites, and other attractions, it draws throngs of visitors daily.