Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway

Why take the fast-paced interstate between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, when you can take an adventure into the past along the Turquoise Trail? With 61.2 miles of back-roads, including Highway 14 and NM-536, the National Scenic Byway passes through colorful and history-rich towns, offering visitors everything from arts and crafts to tours of Old West movie sets and ghost towns.

The trail begins on NM-536 at the summit of the Sandia Mountains, with an amazing view of the state. Here one can ski in the winter, and hike or bike in the summer. Upon descent, visitors take Highway 14 north to Golden, a ghost town named for the gold mining that occurred here during the 1800s. The trail continues on to Madrid, a former coal-mining town transformed into a myriad of shops and galleries offering arts and crafts. Events such as the Christmas celebration and numerous jazz concerts have made Madrid a favorite stopping place along the Turquoise Trail. The next stop is the turquoise and stone mining town of Cerrillos, with the oldest known mine in North America. Cerrillos offers a mining museum, a petting zoo, a trading post and the Cerrillos Station Mercantile Store and Art Gallery. The trail concludes in the historic City of Santa Fe.

Driving Directions
From Santa Fe take I-25 south to Highway 14 and continue to drive south. The stretch of Highway 14 between its intersection with I-40 and its destination in Santa Fe is the Turquoise Trail.