Quebradas Back Country Byway is both a State (July 31, 1998) and National (June 20, 1989)

scenic byway A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoints ...

, in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. It is managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

Route

With a length of about 24 miles, the Quebradas Back Country Byway can be picked up in the north of southwestern New Mexico, near I-25, close to Socorro at the Escondida Exit. The byway stretches over to the east and then down to U.S. 380 in the south. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy a variety of activities along the byway including hiking, photography, ATVing, rockhounding, and biking.

Features

The byway is known for its geographical features such as the , which in New Mexico often refers in plural to the eroded escarpment of a plain or mesa. Other features include badlands, fossils, rhombohedral

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

crystals, malachite, azurite and more. Interesting attractions are along the byway including the pool and , which is an abandoned mining area including a mining shaft, adit, and several exploration pits.

Route

Features

See also

References

Further reading