Carlsbad Caverns National Park · NPS / Michael Larson · Public domain (US federal government)
Road Trip Guide: New Mexico
Explore New Mexico
Route 66 in New Mexico initially followed the Santa Fe Trail north from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe, then the Camino Real south through Albuquerque. By 1937 the road was realigned into a direct east-west route from Santa Rosa through Moriarty and Albuquerque, a change the National Park Service says reduced the cross-country journey by about 100 miles.
Around 36 breweries sit near the stops we cover in New Mexico. 19 of them are brewpubs with a kitchen, which off the motorway is often the useful part. The kitchen figure is a floor: the source lists some full restaurants as production sites.
Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)
Around 14 public campgrounds sit near the stops we cover in New Mexico. 9 of them take reservations; the rest are first-come. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.
Public land, water and snow — the places that are the reason for the drive.
National parks and federal sites in New Mexico
19 National Park Service sites in New Mexico, including 2 designated National Parks. We have written guides to only a few of these — the rest are here so you can see what is in the state.
*Check before you go. Entrance fees, seasonal road closures, timed-entry reservations and whether a site suits your family are set by each park and change through the year. Follow the link and check with the park itself.
Park register from the National Park Service (public domain)
State parks in New Mexico
34 state parks we know of in New Mexico. We have not visited these and have no guide to them — this is a list of what exists, so you can look one up.
See all 34
Bluewater Lake State Park
Bottomless Lakes State Park
Brantley Lake State Park
Caballo Lake State Park
Cerrillos Hills State Park
Cimarron Canyon State Park
City of Rocks State Park
Clayton Lake State Park
Coyote Creek State Park
Eagle Nest Lake State Park
El Vado Lake State Park
Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Fenton Lake State Park
Fort Stanton
Hyde Memorial State Park
Leasburg Dam State Park
Lincoln Historic District
Lincoln State Monument
Manzano Mountains State Park
Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park
Morphy Lake State Park
Oasis State Park
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park
Percha Dam State Park
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
Rio Grande Valley State Park
Rockhound State Park
Santa Rosa Lake State Park
Storrie Lake State Park
Sugarite Canyon State Park
Sumner Lake State Park
Ute Lake State Park
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park
Villanueva State Park
*Check before you go. Opening hours, entry fees, campsite availability and whether a park suits your family are not in this data and change with the season. Several of these are day-use only. Please confirm with the park before setting out.
State park locations from Wikidata (CC0)
Lakes in New Mexico
2 lakes in New Mexico that we have checked. These are the ones from our research that we could check against an official page — not every lake there is. We have not been to these; this is what the official pages say, so you can look one up.
near Cochiti Lake (about 50 mi N of Albuquerque) · reservoir
Fishingyes
BoatingNo-wake lake; boat ramp at each recreation area
CampingCampgrounds at Cochiti and Tetilla Peak recreation areas
SeasonTetilla Peak open April-October; Cochiti open year-round
Alcohol not allowed; land outside the two recreation areas is Pueblo land, closed to the public. State HAB advisories: env.nm.gov
Run by USACE (Cochiti Dam); on Pueblo de Cochiti land
*Check before you go. Every lake here links to the official page we checked it against. Fees, seasons, water levels, algal advisories and ramp closures change without notice and belong to the agency that runs the water. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something the lake lacks.
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. We do not list rentals: our source marked every ski area in the country “likely” to have them and confirmed none, so there was nothing to publish. Most hills do rent gear — ring ahead rather than take that from us. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
This is a list of what is there, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening dates, lift schedules and trail conditions move every year and we hold none of them, so check before you build a day around it. Every name above links to the operator’s own site.
Days out with the family
Gated attractions with a front door, a ticket and a car park.
The city page shows two schedules: open daily 9-5, closed Dec 25, Jan 1; and "New Hours" of Mar-Dec closed Tue, Wed 9-9, Thu-Mon 9-5, and Jan-Feb closed Mon-Tue, Wed-Sun 9-4
Admission
Adult $5 · Child $3
The city's page carries two different hour schedules with no dates, so confirm the day's hours before going.
Daily 9-5, last entry 30 minutes before closing; closes at 4pm during River of Lights. Closed Mondays between Veterans Day and Presidents Day. Closed 1 Jan, Thanksgiving and 25 Dec.
Season
year-round
Admission
Adult $21.50 · Child $13
Reservations
Not required
Parking
Free
Shares ticket with Botanic Garden. Timed-entry tickets, sold online up to two weeks ahead, with a limited number each day; the BioPark urges booking in advance and warns the popular Combo Tickets can sell out. Once in you may stay as long as you like. No refunds and no rain checks, weather included, unless the City closes the park. The shuttle between the Aquarium/Garden and the Zoo does not run Mondays or Tuesdays. The City says it is the sole ticket seller and will not accept third-party or resale tickets.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 2 of these carry an accreditation we confirmed against the accrediting body’s own register. Where there is no badge we did not confirm one — that is not a judgement on the place, and a good many municipal, state and university sites belong to no register we check. One entry is marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 1 of these runs a season rather than opening year round. Opening and closing dates move every year and we hold none of them, so check the park’s own calendar before you build a day around it. Prices, hours and ride closures change without notice — every name above links to the park’s own site.
Wineries and Distilleries in New Mexico
3 producers in New Mexico that we have checked. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is. We have not been to these; this is what their own sites say, so you can look one up.
One of New Mexico's original craft distilleries; second tasting room in the Railyard District.
Toursyes - distillery tours bookable
7505 Mallard Way, Unit I, Santa Fe, NM 87507
*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. None of these say anything about children, so do not plan around it without asking them.
Landmarks and curiosities
What is worth stopping the car for, from the formally designated to the frankly odd.
No season stated; the lower trailhead page showed the status 'Site Open' on 2026-11-03.
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.
USFS pages give no trail length, difficulty or elevation; finding aids say about 3 miles, not primary-confirmed
Quote keeps the page's own typo ('opportuntity')
Parking is at St. John's College; finding aids mention past lot closures
fs.usda.gov rate-limits curl (intermittent 403)
Run by USDA Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest
Public street; no hours stated. Gallery and shop hours vary by business and were not researched.
Admission
No fee information on the city document.
Season
No season stated.
A Santa Fe street that follows a 13th-century footpath toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and now holds more than 130 galleries, boutiques and restaurants over about seven blocks; on Christmas Eve it is the setting for a farolito walk.
Only primary source is an undated city PDF (history piece); no city web page found
No address line; it is a street, so no single address
Gallery hours vary per business; not researched
Farolito walk detail: the PDF describes paper-bag lanterns lining the sidewalks; the 2026 event date and format were not checked
April – October Open 7 days a week, 9am-5pm November – March Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am-4pm Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Last entrance is admitted 30 minutes before closing time. source
A public garden in Santa Fe with a fruit orchard, an ethnobotanical garden of plants with traditional uses, and a gentle 1/3-mile mulched nature trail through piñon-juniper woodland.
Two conflicting hours blocks on the visit page (winter: daily 10-4 Nov-Feb vs Wed-Sun 10-4 Nov-Mar)
Old domain santafebotanicalgarden.org redirects to visitsfbg.org
Free-admission programs listed (Community Days for NM residents, Museums for All with EBT card)
City of Santa Fe parks and plazas are open daily from sunrise to sunset. source
Admission
No city page found that states whether there is any charge; none was mentioned.
Season
No season stated; the city says parks and plazas are open daily.
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 are the citywide parks-and-plazas rule
NPS page location line: bounded by Palace Ave and the Palace of the Governors on the north, San Francisco St. on the south, Washington Ave. on the east, Lincoln Ave. on the west
NPS tour page on the same site calls Santa Fe the oldest capital city in the US (superlative claim, not used)
Run by City of Santa Fe Parks & Open Space Division (Public Works)
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening times and prices here are quoted from each operator’s own page on the date we read it, and both change without notice. Where this list says an operator does not publish their hours or their price, that is what we found on their page — 2 of these publish no hours and 3 state no price. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”, so ring ahead where it matters. Every name above links to that page.
These are things you can go and look at, not a recommendation of any of them. Oddities move, get sold and quietly disappear more than anything else we list, so check anything you are driving a long way for. Where this list says we did not find a price or opening times published, that is exactly what we mean. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”. Some sit on private land and can only be seen from the road — please do not go onto anyone’s property. Every entry links the page we read it off.
* We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.
This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 5 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.
On the road
Before you set off.
Scenic roads through New Mexico
Federally designated scenic byways and All-American Roads, with the places we publish along each one in the order you meet them.
Spring can be sunny and mild, with chilly mornings at elevation.
Wear
Start with a long-sleeve tee, stretch pants, and a fleece or sweater. Add a rain shell when the wind or showers pick up.
Shoes
Water-resistant walking shoes with grip; boots for muddy stops.
Pack
fleece or sweater
rain shell
light beanie
spare dry socks
Summer 88°/57°F (31°/14°C)
Summer brings hot lower-elevation days and seasonal monsoon showers.
Wear
Try a loose tee or breathable sun shirt with lightweight shorts or airy pants. Add a light overshirt after sunset.
Shoes
Breathable closed-toe walking shoes for dusty stops; hiking shoes for uneven trails.
Pack
sun hat
sunglasses
light sun shirt
light evening layer
spare socks
Fall 70°/40°F (21°/4°C)
Fall has warm afternoons in some areas and cold high-country nights.
Wear
Build around a long-sleeve tee, comfortable pants, and a sweater or fleece. Add a wind-resistant jacket for breezy overlooks.
Shoes
Walking shoes with grip; water-resistant boots for wet or muddy routes.
Pack
sweater or fleece
wind and rain shell
beanie
light gloves
spare socks
Winter 51°/23°F (11°/-5°C)
Winter is cold in northern and higher areas, with milder southern lowlands.
Wear
Layer a moisture-wicking long-sleeve top under a sweater or fleece and an insulated coat. Wear long pants; add thermal bottoms when the forecast calls for them.
Shoes
Waterproof insulated boots for snowy stops, with warm wool or synthetic socks.
Pack
thermal base layers
insulated coat
beanie
gloves or mittens
warm spare socks
Adjust for your route. Santa Fe and northern mountain routes need warmer layers than southern lowlands. Pack a rain shell for summer showers and snow boots for snowy winter stops.
