New Mexico road trip: Taos to Chaco Canyon, 12 places

This 3,158 km route across New Mexico connects 12 significant destinations including Taos, Santa Fe, Chaco Canyon, White Sands National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Albuquerque, Carlsbad Caverns, the Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railway, Bisti Badlands, and the Very Large Array. The itinerary spans from northern pueblo communities to southeastern cavern systems, showcasing the state's diverse geological and cultural landmarks.

Mode
Places
Start
Very Large Array (Rank #10)
End
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Stops
12
Video author
travmap
Updated

Stops on this route

  1. Very Large Array (Rank #10) — Radio telescope observatory in the desert featuring 27 massive dishes that detect cosmic signals from distant galaxies and nebulae.
  2. Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railway (Rank #8) — Historic narrow-gauge steam railroad traversing 64 miles through mountain passes with views of valleys, forests, and volcanic peaks.
  3. Bandelier National Monument (Rank #7) — Ancient pueblo dwellings carved into volcanic cliffs where Ancestral Puebloans lived, accessible via hiking trails through piñon forests.
  4. White Sands National Monument (Rank #6) — Vast landscape of brilliant gypsum dunes covering 275 square miles, offering sledding and hiking across otherworldly white sand.
  5. Albuquerque (Rank #5)
  6. Chaco Canyon (Rank #4) — Archaeological site preserving massive pre-Columbian pueblos and ceremonial structures built by the Ancestral Puebloans between 850–1250 CE.
  7. Santa Fe (Rank #2)
  8. Taos (Rank #1) — Mountain town centered around a 700-year-old pueblo inhabited by Native Americans, surrounded by dramatic peaks and creative communities.
  9. Bisti Badlands & Bisti Wilderness — Number 9 on the list. Breathtaking barren badlands with otherworldly landscapes nestled in northwest New Mexico within the Navajo Nation.
  10. White Sands National Monument — Number 6 on the list. Covers a huge area of sand dunes in the southeastern section of New Mexico. Features the 16-mile Dunes Drive scenic drive near the visitor center.
  11. Chaco Canyon National Historic Park — Number 4 on the list. Located in northwestern New Mexico, contains the most extensive collection of ancient pueblo ruins in the United States.
  12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park — Number 3 on the list. Network of caverns national park located 25 miles from a former ranch town. Features the Big Room, a main chamber with cathedral-like opening.

Useful for your trip

Timing
Visit the Very Large Array on the first Saturday of every month for guided tours; self-guided tours are available other times.
Transport
Take the Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railway, a historic narrow-gauge steam railroad built in 1880 that runs 64 miles between Chama, New Mexico and Antonio, Colorado.
Tip
Climb ladders to reach cliff house alcoves perched 140 feet above the canyon floor on the 2-mile Main Loop Trail at Bandelier National Monument.
Transport
Drive the well-marked 16-mile Dunes Drive near the visitor center at White Sands National Monument with designated parking areas to explore the dunes.
Timing
Visit Albuquerque in October for the International Balloon Fiesta, the city's most well-known annual event.
Tip
See the Palace of the Governors museum, housed in the nation's oldest public building, when visiting Santa Fe.
Tip
Visit the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, which has a permanent collection of 20,000 works of art.
Transport
Access Carlsbad Caverns' Big Room via an ear-popping elevator equivalent to the height of the Empire State Building, or take a snaking pathway into the caverns.
Tip
Try whitewater rafting in the Taos Box, a section of the Rio Grande known for superb rafting conditions.
Tip
Visit Taos Pueblo, an ancient Native American community located just north of the town of Taos in a particularly beautiful setting.

Video on this route

10 Best Places to Visit in New Mexico - Travel Video

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