The Best of New Mexico Route 66

Get your kicks on New Mexico's Route 66 National Scenic Byway! 

New Mexico has one of the most varied landscapes in the United States, and Route 66 crosses all its land regions. Enter New Mexico in the Great Plains at the ghost town of Glenrio, where the landscape is flat and grassy. As you reach Tucumcari, the land begins transitioning to the high desert with broad valleys, deep canyons, sharp cliffs, and flat-topped mesas. It is both harsh and majestic. Nearing the middle of the state, you’ll wind through the mountain pass of Tijeras Canyon as you work your way to Albuquerque in the valley below. Nine Mile Hill brings you up from the valley toward El Malpais, the stark lava landscape near Grants.  Approaching the Continental Divide, the lava gives way to breathtaking red-hued cliffs.  Those beautiful red cliffs keep getting better and better as you pass through Gallup shortly before exiting the state.

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