Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

Local Visitor Information

Discover more ways to experience this byway — photos and local partners.

Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
unattributed Photo

Explore Resources

Find maps, guides, weather, and seasonal information for this byway.

Byway Overview

This byway starts and ends in Taos as it circles around Wheeler Peak. The oldest continuously occupied residence in New Mexico is Taos Pueblo, now with a multi-story skyline. Head north to Arroyo Hondo, growing out of an 1815 Spanish land grant and later known as home to the New Buffalo commune. Then stop at Questa, situated amongst camping and hiking places like Cabresto Lake, Mallette Canyon, and Midnight Meadows. Head east towards Red River where Elizabethtown was once settled by miners in the 1800s. The mines have since petered out, but town is still known for its high alpine scenery, fishing, skiing, and switchback roads before heading through Bobcat Pass and descending into the high alpine Moreno Valley and back to Taos on Kit Carson Road.

Quick Facts

Designation
State Byway, Forest Service Byway (1989)
Location
NM
Total Length
83 miles

Visitor Information & Byway Partners

Contact Details

For personalized travel assistance and local recommendations, please reach out to our regional visitor center.

Local Byway Partners

New Mexico Department of Transportation
Visit Website 505-795-1401
New Mexico Tourism Department
Visit Website 505-827-7400