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The Atlas/New Mexico/Enchanted Circle (NM-38 / US-64)

Enchanted Circle (NM-38 / US-64)

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.

29 mi
Length
0
Verified stops
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High point
Scenic
Road type
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// Nearby & related
RouteNew Mexico
5.9/10
Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (NM-48 / US-380)
New Mexico
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.
22
miles
RouteNew Mexico
5.7/10
Chama River Canyon — US-84 / NM-17
New Mexico
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.
10
miles
StopNew Mexico
El Santuario de Chimayo
New Mexico
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.