Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway
Madrid, Santa Fe County, New Mexico. National Scenic Byway.
Details
- Where
- Madrid, Santa Fe County, NM. No street address stated. Directions
- Season
- Open year round; Highway 536 and Highway 14 are all-weather roads maintained by the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Expect snow in winter and closures during major storms.
- Getting there
- From Albuquerque: I-40 east to the Tijeras exit (175); the byway starts at the Forest Service ranger station 1 mile south, or head north toward Cedar Crest.
- Fees
- No fees to drive the byway.
- Access
- As soon as April 2026 the Cibola National Forest begins projects affecting visitor use and public access to the Sandia Crest area through fall of 2027.
- Phone
- (505) 281-5233
- Website
- turquoisetrail.org
- Managed by
- Turquoise Trail Association, PO Box 303, Sandia Park, NM 87047.
- Established
- Named in a 1953 Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce contest.
About 50 miles along Highway 14 between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, with a view from atop Sandia Crest and the mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos.
Notable Events
- 1953The Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce sponsored a contest to name the scenic back road from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, which Rita Simmons won. turquoisetrail.org
- 1984The Turquoise Trail Association formed as a small organization soliciting members and became an official non-profit in 1993. turquoisetrail.org
- 2000The Turquoise Trail received designation as a National Scenic Byway from the National Scenic Byways Program after completing a comprehensive corridor management plan. turquoisetrail.org
People
- Rita Simmons, artist and educator from Albuquerque who won the contest that named the Turquoise Trail (1953).