Quebradas Back Country Byway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quebradas Back Country Byway is a scenic byway in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.[1] It was listed as a Bureau of Land Management Back Country Byway on June 20, 1989, and as a New Mexico Scenic and Historic Byway on July 31, 1998.
Quebradas Back Country Byway | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by BLM | |
| Length | 24 mi (39 km) |
| Restrictions | Type II byway |
| Major junctions | |
| From | East of San Antonio |
| To | Near Socorro |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Counties | Socorro |
| Highway system | |
| |
Route description
With a length of about 24 miles (39 km),[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 US 380 in the south. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy a variety of activities along the byway including hiking, photography, ATVing, rockhounding, and biking.
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]
Quebradas Back Country Byway
Malachite Mounds
Malachite
