Believed to be an ancient path, Turquoise Trail travels between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The natural geological formations found here are like nowhere else on Earth. See nature up-close in the Cibola National Forest and Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area. Appreciate the distinctive, artistic communities of Madrid and Los Cerrillos.
- Length
- 62 mi / 99.8 km
- Time to allow
- Take two hours, including backtracking, to drive the byway.
- Fees
- There are no fees for driving the byway.
Who looks after this road
- New Mexico Department of Tourism · 800-545-2070, 575-827-7400 · their site
- Turquoise Trail Association · 888-263-0003 · their site
- Tinkertown Museum · 575-281-5233 · their site
We publish 14 places that sit on this road, listed in the order you meet them. This is not a route and not a drive time — it is the names, so you can put them into whatever navigation you already use.
Of those, 1 is a roadside oddity — the sort of thing you would drive past without knowing it was there.
“Off” is a straight line from the place to the road, rounded. It is not a driving distance, and the road itself is a simplified centre line, so treat a mile or two as noise.
Hinkle Family Fun CenterNM6 miles offFun park
site states open
Wildlife West Nature ParkNM10 miles offAnimals
- Hours
- summer (Mar 9–Nov 1) 10–6; winter (Nov 2–Mar 7) 12–4
- Season
- year-round
Tinkertown MuseumNMon the roadRoadside oddity
Bottle-walled maze of hand-carved miniature towns
Sandia CrestNMon the road
No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.
Cliff's Amusement ParkNM9 miles offFun park
site says thanks for a great 2026
- Season
- Seasonal
Albuquerque International Balloon FiestaNM8 miles offAnnual event
other at Balloon Fiesta Park
- When
- October
- Since
- 1972
- Runs for
- more than one day
MadridNMon the road
No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.
Santa FeNM8 miles off
In our guide: 4 historic sites
White's CityNM7 miles off
No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.
The High Road to Santa FeNM6 miles off
No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.
Santa Fe Plaza (Plaza Park)NM8 miles offHistoric site
The central square of Santa Fe, laid out in 1610 and now a National Historic Landmark; the city describes it as surrounded by museums, galleries and vendors from nearby Native American communities.
- Hours
- City of Santa Fe parks and plazas are open daily from sunrise to sunset.
- Run by
- City of Santa Fe Parks & Open Space Division (Public Works)
Atalaya Mountain (via Atalaya Trail #170, Santa Fe National Forest)NM8 miles offHistoric site
A mountain whose summit is reached by the Forest Service's Atalaya Trail #170, which starts from a parking lot at St. John's College in Santa Fe; the lower trailhead has no restrooms or drinking water.
- Run by
- USDA Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest
Burning of ZozobraNM8 miles offAnnual event
cultural festival at Fort Marcy Park
- When
- Late August/early September (Friday before Labor Day)
- Since
- 1924
Santa Fe Indian MarketNM8 miles offAnnual event
cultural festival at Santa Fe Plaza
- When
- August
- Since
- 1922
- Runs for
- more than one day