NM SB25 – Wild Rivers Back Country Byway Traditional Cache

New Mexico is home to 25 magnificent scenic byways, totaling over 2,900 miles across a diverse landscape. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes these designated roads based on one or more intrinsic qualities — archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, or scenic.

I planned this series to run East to West from I-10 exit 132 to exit 129 but there is plenty of room to park along the side of this quiet frontage road in either direction.

The sagebrush and pinon-juniper flatlands of the Taos Plateau are sliced by a steep chasm of black rock carved 600-800 vertical feet to a ribbon of river, circled by volcanic cones, cliffs and the Sangre de Cristo's white-dusted peaks. Deceptively tame, the Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway provides ready access to the rock-strewn, riffling upper reaches of the Rio Grande before dams and diversions dampen the river's unruly ways – a haven for hikers, cyclists, wildlife-viewers, sport-fishermen and sightseers. The spectacular 360-degree vista at La Junta Overlook, where the Red River joins the Rio Grande 800 feet below, is singularly worth the drive.

http://www.newmexico.org/wild-rivers-sb/

This is a desert environment so please be careful of the flora and fauna that live here and the trash people leave along the road.