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 | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Bureau of Land Management | |
| 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
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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
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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
editReferences
edit- ^ Browman, Robert (June 28, 2019). "Quebradas Backcountry Byway: The road less traveled". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "Quebradas Backcountry Scenic Byway". New Mexico True. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ "Quebradas Back Country Byway". www.socorronm.org. Visit Socorro. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Julyan, Robert (2001). The Place Names of New Mexico (Revised ed.). University of New Mexico Press. p. 280. ISBN 0-8263-1689-1.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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
edit- 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.