Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (NM-48 / US-380)

The Chama area anchors two complementary motorcycle roads in northwestern New Mexico. US-84 north from Abiquiú follows the Chama River through Georgia O'Keeffe's painted-cliff country — the red and ochre canyon walls inspired decades of her work — past Ghost Ranch and up to the Old West town of Chama (7,800 feet) at the Colorado border. From Chama, NM-17 (which becomes Colorado State Highway 17 at the state line) climbs northeast over Cumbres Pass (10,022 feet) through the same high-mountain meadows that the narrow-gauge Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad traverses on 64 miles of track between Chama and Antonito, Colorado. The pairing of US-84's canyon drama with NM-17's alpine pass makes Chama a natural overnight base for a two-day northern New Mexico loop.

Built in 1816 of hand-packed adobe, El Santuario de Chimayó is a National Historic Landmark and the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the United States, drawing nearly 300,000 visitors per year. Tucked into a hillside village on the High Road to Taos (NM-76 corridor), the twin-towered church and its courtyard are immediately identifiable. Inside a small adjoining room, a hole in the floor contains what pilgrims call sacred healing soil. Motorcyclists riding the High Road use Chimayó as a natural rest and photo stop — parking is steps from the church and the village has several artisan galleries and weavers nearby.

The Enchanted Circle is an 84-mile loop byway through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, beginning and ending in Taos. The loop uses US-64 west of Eagle Nest, NM-522 north to Questa, NM-38 east through Red River and over Bobcat Pass (the highest paved mountain pass in New Mexico), and NM-434 south through Angel Fire back to Eagle Nest. The circuit encircles Wheeler Peak (13,161 feet), the state's highest point, and reaches elevations above 9,000 feet for most of the northern half. Towns on the loop include the ski village of Red River, the lake community of Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire — home to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park.