New Mexico Road Trip Itinerary

Want to make the most of your next New Mexico road trip? Here’s the perfect itinerary for a great road trip through New Mexico.

We recently took a road trip to and through New Mexico.  Everyone in our family loved the road trip and exploring New Mexico so much!  We are already planning our next visit this beautiful state!

In case you would like to take your own road trip through New Mexico, I am sharing below our itinerary and route.  Since this itinerary is almost one big circle, you could start at any point depending on which direction you are arriving from.  You could add more sites and destinations as your road trip allow.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

There are two ways to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park: hike down a 1.25-mile paved trail from the natural entrance and descend about 750 feet or take the elevator.  We really loved hiking down into the cave from the natural entrance and it was amazing to see how far down into the caverns you go before reaching the Big Room.  The Big Room is about the size of six football fields.  It is the largest single cave chamber in North America and contains a ton of stalactites and stalagmites along with cave popcorn, soda straws, and columns.  If you would like to read more about visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park and tips for your trip, click here.

If time: I would suggest a visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park which is actually in Texas, but so close to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  It is the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef and contains over 80 miles of hiking trails.

Roswell

Best known as the site of an alleged 1947 UFO crash, the city makes the most of tourism with a fun extraterrestrial theme.  You can visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center or take a Roswell UFO tour.  Make sure to get a picture with one of the many green aliens around town.

If time: Penny’s Diner located on Highway 285 in Vaughn, NM is a 24-hours retro-style diner.  When we were driving down the highway through a small town, we saw Penny’s Diner and had to make a u-turn.  I’m so glad we did!  The food was good, comfort diner fare, the service was amazing, and it was extremely clean.  My daughter still talks about Penny’s Diner and wants to go back to New Mexico for another visit!

Santa Fe

The capital of New Mexico is Santa Fe which is known for the arts, therefore, a stop at the Museum of International Folk Art or the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum would be a great way to round out your visit to the city.  Santa Fe is also home to San Miguel Mission which is a Spanish colonial mission church that is the oldest known church in the continental US.

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument protects 33,000 acres of canyon and mesa land and evidence of human presence going back over 11,000 years ago.  At Bandelier National Monument, you will be able to see petroglyphs, images created by removing the surface of a rock, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls that show where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived and farmed.  If you would like to read more about visiting Bandelier National Monument and tips for your trip, click here.

If time: I would suggest visiting Taos and the Taos Pueblo which is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The Taos Pueblo is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US – the multi-storied adobe buildings have been lived in for over 1000 years. 

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is famous for their cone-shaped formations, Hoodoos, and a slot canyon!  The Hoodoos are composed of pumice, ash, and tuff deposits from volcanic eruptions 6–7 million years ago.  You can take the one-way slot canyon trail which is a steady 630ft climb that ends with amazing mesa views.  If you would like to read more about visiting Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and tips for your trip, click here.

Albuquerque

Albuquerque has so much to do and see that there is something for everyone.  You could visit Petroglyph National Monument which is one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America.  Other options include exploring Old Town or experiencing world-class museums.  If you are a fan of vintage America, you could travel down Route 66 and see retro neon signs.  Or fly high in a hot air balloon!  Be sure to grab some traditional New Mexican cuisine while you are in town. If you are looking for a family-friendly hotel in Albuquerque I highly recommend this one.

White Sands National Park

One of the world’s great natural wonders is White Sands National Park.  It has glistening, wave-like dunes of gypsum sand that covers 275 square miles in the middle of the desert.  White Sands National Park is the world’s largest gypsum dune field.  Sand sledding in the park is the most popular activity and SO MUCH FUN!  If you would like to read more about visiting White Sands National Park and tips for your trip, click here.

Have you visited New Mexico?