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The Atlas/New Mexico/Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (NM-48 / US-380)

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

22 mi
Length
3
Verified stops
7,480 ft
High point
Scenic
Road type

The Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway is an 84-mile loop through Lincoln County in south-central New Mexico. The circuit connects the mountain resort town of Ruidoso (via NM-48 north through the Sacramento Mountains and Lincoln National Forest) with the historic Lincoln town site via US-380 — the same road where Billy the Kid made his 1881 jail break from the Lincoln County Courthouse. Sierra Blanca Peak (11,981 feet) dominates the western skyline. US-70 along the southern leg cuts through the Mescalero Apache Reservation past the Inn of the Mountain Gods and Ruidoso Downs racetrack. The byway is accessible at Ruidoso Downs via a visitor center on US-70.

// Mile by mile

What you'll hit along the way.

Rider-verified stops, overlooks, fuel, and the corners worth knowing about — in the order you'll meet them.

Mile 0.0

Hollywood

Small community marking the southern start of the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway where NM-48 begins its run through Lincoln County.

Mile 10.0

Flying J Ranch

A convenient stop for food near the midpoint of the route, set amid the ponderosa pine landscape of the Sacramento Mountains foothills.

Mile 10.0

Sun Valley

Small community near the northern stretch of the byway offering a glimpse of the rural high-desert valley scenery characteristic of this region.

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