Mesalands Scenic Byway

Overview

This byways travels NM 469 south of San Jon and climbs to the top of the mesa lands and the entrance to the Caprock Amphitheatre and Ralph Stanfield Memorial Nature Trail. Ute Lake, Santa Rosa Lake, and Conchas Dam state parks are along the byway and offer opportunities for fishing, camping, and picnicking. Santa Rosa, also called the City of Natural Lakes, is famous for the Blue Hole, a natural 80-foot-deep pool offering scuba diving in the middle of a desert. Learn more about the area’s ancient history at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari.