Quebradas Biway Loop

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

This route follows the official BLM Quebradas Backcountry Scenic Byway. Canyons, views of the Magdalena Mountains, homesites, ocotillo and other interesting vegetation complement the high quality road (there is some sand at the end, and during parts of the return-- for this reason a mountain bike and not a gravel grinder is recommended).

Bathrooms at the Escondida fishing lake and services in Socorro and San Antonio.

There are a couple options to start this route: as depicted on this map, in Socorro plaza; or on the locals' fishing lake in the village of Escondida. There are also a couple of options for the return: on the dirt roads hugging the Rio Grande and its valley ditches, as depicted on the map; or take NM 1 north in San Antonio to cruise an easy pavement return.

As per the map, start in the Socorro plaza and head west on Manzanes St, then a left on Main St, then a right on Otero Ave E. Follow the ditch road north then jog around the Socorro Flood Channel in Escondida to connect with Staton Road and follow it north. Take a right on Pueblitos Road then a right on Bosquecito Road. Follow Bosquecito to the left that is marked as the Quebradas Backcountry Scenic Byway.

Follow the well-marked Quebradas Biway for some super fun riding. The Biway spits you out onto US 380. Take a right on 380 to head to San Antonio or follow this map east and south for some more dirt riding. After crossing the Rio Grande, follow dirt along the ditch to West Low Flow Road or the paved Farm Market Road (which ends eventually). Take a left on Manzanes St and back to the Socorro Plaza.

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, rock hounding, hiking, wildlife watching, hunting, cultural sightseeing and backcountry vehicle touring are among the many recreation opportunities."
-- newmexico.org