last minute trip in NM and AZ

[Jgallo1]

The wife and I were going to fly in and out, but at the last minute decided to drive to Santa fe.
This will be a 2 stage trip. The back half we have padded an extra day so we can find some fun backroads and a nice spot to camp.

The first part, we will be coming into Santa FE from Salt Lake city, We have done this drive before but always gone the fastest route through moab and then gallup and over. This time we were thinking about going over through Grand Junction and then down to Santa fe. My question about this part of the trip is does anyone know of some scenic backroads or a better route that are we can drive instead of the HWY?

We have an extra day built in on the back end of the trip next week. I am looking for suggestions.
We will be heading from Santa Fe back to the santa barbara area of CA. I am looking for suggestions of a fun dirt route with a some scenery and maybe even a hot spring or a swimming hole. We will camp out there. The most direct route from Santa Fe back to the SB area is the 40. So something close to the 40 would be nice.

Thanks

 

[Neal A. Tew]

Have you done any of the 4WD roads around Silverton/Ouray/Telluride, CO?

How about the scenic Million Dollar Hwy between between Ouray and Silverton?

 

[FireMedicPQ1]

Agreed with heading south out of Grand Junction on Hwy 50/550 through Ridgway/Ouray/Silverton/Durango. This is a very scenic drive and you can hit some of the famous trails around Ouray and Silverton if you have time. If you stay with the Moab route and come down from Cortez - do not go all the way to Gallup. Go through Farmington and Bloomfield before heading south to Bernalillo where I-25 will take you to Santa Fe. You can also take a detour at Cuba and hit highway 126, then to highway 4 through the Jemez mountains, to Los Alamos, then onto Santa Fe. This is an amazing drive as well. Stay safe and enjoy our state.

 

[Jgallo1]

Have you done any of the 4WD roads around Silverton/Ouray/Telluride, CO?

How about the scenic Million Dollar Hwy between between Ouray and Silverton?

I have not.. I will look into them tonight
Thank you

 

[Jgallo1]

Agreed with heading south out of Grand Junction on Hwy 50/550 through Ridgway/Ouray/Silverton/Durango. This is a very scenic drive and you can hit some of the famous trails around Ouray and Silverton if you have time. If you stay with the Moab route and come down from Cortez - do not go all the way to Gallup. Go through Farmington and Bloomfield before heading south to Bernalillo where I-25 will take you to Santa Fe. You can also take a detour at Cuba and hit highway 126, then to highway 4 through the Jemez mountains, to Los Alamos, then onto Santa Fe. This is an amazing drive as well. Stay safe and enjoy our state.

If we are heading west on the 40, in western NM or AZ any recommended off the path camp sites ?
Thank you

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Agreed with heading south out of Grand Junction on Hwy 50/550 through Ridgway/Ouray/Silverton/Durango. This is a very scenic drive and you can hit some of the famous trails around Ouray and Silverton if you have time. If you stay with the Moab route and come down from Cortez - do not go all the way to Gallup. Go through Farmington and Bloomfield before heading south to Bernalillo where I-25 will take you to Santa Fe. You can also take a detour at Cuba and hit highway 126, then to highway 4 through the Jemez mountains, to Los Alamos, then onto Santa Fe. This is an amazing drive as well. Stay safe and enjoy our state.

Hello FireMedicPQ1, I knew you would come through with something for these folks.
Lanlubber

 

[FireMedicPQ1]

If we are heading west on the 40, in western NM or AZ any recommended off the path camp sites ?
Thank you

You can find some great places on Mount Taylor just outside of the town of Grants along I40. If you head south from Grants through the El Malpais and El Morro National Monument, there are some beautiful areas to explore. If you wait until AZ, you will either have to veer southwest from Holbrook to get into the mountains, or wait until Flagstaff. Plenty of areas along both routes.

 

[grubworm]

That whole area is pretty good and definitely recommend 550 down to Durango, amazing drive!. We were just there a few months ago and took 160 out of Durango to Pagosa Springs and kept on 160 thru Wolf Creek Pass and took a jeep road there up on the Continential Divide, it was a blast. Then we went on to Alamosa and dropped down 285 then hit 64 to Taos, pretty awesome spot, then dropped down and took 84 into Santa Fe. Its a little bit out of the way, but very scenic and you get to hit Taos. We also took a loop from Taos that goes up to Red Rive and Eagle Nest and circles back to Taos. That was a very cool route. Check it out on a map, you hit some great places. I've done several trips out to Santa Fe and Durango and that route is my favorite.