Quebradas Back Country Byway

Quebradas Back Country Byway is both a State (July 31, 1998) and National (June 20, 1989) scenic byway, in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.[1]

Quebradas Back Country Byway marker

Quebradas Back Country Byway

Route information
Maintained by Bureau of Land Management
Length24 mi (39 km)
RestrictionsType II byway
Major junctions
FromEast of San Antonio
ToNear Socorro
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountiesSocorro
Highway system
  • New Mexico State Highway System
Quebradas Back Country Byway, NM, USA.

Route
Malachite Mounds

With a length of about 24 miles,[2] 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.[3] 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
Malachite, Quebradas Back Country Byway, NM, USA.

The byway is known for its geographical features such as the quebrada (Spanish for 'break' / 'ravine'), which in New Mexico often refers in plural to the eroded escarpment of a plain or mesa.[4] Other features include badlands, fossils,[5] rhombohedral calcite crystals,[6] malachite, azurite and more. Interesting attractions are along the byway including the Ojo de Amado pool and Minas del Chupadero, which is an abandoned mining area including a mining shaft, adit, and several exploration pits.[7]

See also

References
  1. Browman, Robert (June 28, 2019). "Quebradas Backcountry Byway: The road less traveled". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  2. "Quebradas Backcountry Scenic Byway". New Mexico True. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  3. "Quebradas Back Country Byway". www.socorronm.org. Visit Socorro. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  4. Julyan, Robert (2001). The Place Names of New Mexico (Revised ed.). University of New Mexico Press. p. 280. ISBN 0-8263-1689-1.
  5. Freed, Martin; Vaskys, Ruta (2021). Rockhounding New Mexico: A Guide to 140 of the State's Best Rockhounding Sites. Falcon Guides. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 123-126. ISBN 978-1-4930-5723-8.
  6. Mitchell, James R. (1987). Gem Trails of New Mexico (Sixth Revised ed.). Pico Rivera, California: Gem Guides Book Co. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-935182-24-1.
  7. Pike, David (2004). Roadside New Mexico: A Guide to Historic Markers. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. pp. 296–298. ISBN 0-8263-3118-1.

Further reading
  • Freed, Martin; Vaskys, Ruta (2021). Rockhounding New Mexico: A Guide to 140 of the State's Best Rockhounding Sites. The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.: Falcon Guides. p. 255. ISBN 978-1-4930-5723-8.
  • Julyan, Robert (2001). The Place Names of New Mexico (Revised ed.). University of New Mexico Press. p. 385. ISBN 0-8263-1689-1.
  • Mitchell, James R. (1987). Gem Trails of New Mexico (Sixth Revised ed.). Pico Rivera, California: Gem Guides Book Co. p. 110. ISBN 0-935182-24-1.
  • Pike, David (2004). Roadside New Mexico: A Guide to Historic Markers. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 434. ISBN 0-8263-3118-1.
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