This 24 mile unpaved road (no 4WD necessary) was a beautiful blast to drive. The NewMexico.org Website puts it best: “Rainbow-hued ridges, deep jagged canyons and wind-whipped dunes await travelers wishing to venture into the rough-and-tumble geography of the Quebradas Backcountry Byway. This 24-mile unpaved road slices through the arroyos, or breaks, that give the area its Spanish name and offers both vast and intimate views of New Mexico’s geologic past. Wedged between two national wildlife refuges – Sevilleta and Bosque del Apache – and the state-run Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex, the Quebradas area also offers fleeting glimpses of desert wildlife, especially at dawn and dusk. Photography, rockhounding, hiking, wildlife-watching, hunting, cultural sightseeing and backcountry vehicle touring are among the many recreation opportunities.”

My only qualm with the road was the lack of places to pull over and park. It wasn’t very busy but to see and explore, you have to get creative with where you pull over. That being said, I will be returning to hike and enjoy the scenery soon instead of just driving through it. And it certainly beats just taking I-25. There are also some sand dunes that I saw that would be a lot of fun to explore.