State Road 161 (NM 161) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in northeastern
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. NM 161 begins in the west at its junction with
NM 518 several miles south of the
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of
La Cueva. The road travels southeast through remote, sparsely populated land before reaching a junction with
Interstate 25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
(I-25) south of
Watrous. From there, the road turns northeast and briefly parallels I-25 before cutting back to the northwest, where it intersects I-25 again, then continues north for roughly seven miles before terminating at
Fort Union National Monument
Fort Union National Monument is a unit of the National Park Service of the United States, and is located north of Watrous, New Mexico, Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico, Mora County, New Mexico. The U.S. National Monument, national monument wa ...
. Shortly before reaching Fort Union, NM 161 crosses the former path of the
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, th ...
which is still visible as a broad, shallow ditch or low spot in the terrain.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
161
Year 161 ( CLXI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Aurelius (or, less frequently, year 914 '' Ab urbe condi ...
Transportation in Mora County, New Mexico
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