South west New Mexico

[sslangs]

I'm planning a trip to southern new Mexico next spring.  I've never been down that way.  I was wondering if anyone knew of any good roads or great POI's .  I've been through the north west / central part of the state and found it to be wonderful.  Looking at the map, the Elk mountains area really looks interesting.  I've done the usual of getting the state planning guide etc.  Any feed back would be appreciated.  Thanks

[expatbrit]

NM151, if it's recovered from being chip sealed
US191/Old 666 in AZ
NM76 from 191 to US180
There's some great roads around Clourcroft and sunspot.
NM36 out of Silver City towards the Gila dwellings.

Just a few off the top of my head; great riding down there!

[Justin]

NM151, if it's recovered from being chip sealed
US191/Old 666 in AZ
NM76 from 191 to US180
There's some great roads around Clourcroft and sunspot.
NM36 out of Silver City towards the Gila dwellings.

Just a few off the top of my head; great riding down there!

Yeap - all great roads - Add NM15 to the "NM36 out of Silver City towards the Gila dwellings." mentioned above - 15 is perhaps the windiest road ever  . I rode at 2 AM in Oct for the LOE1000, that was not so much fun  

NM76 mentioned above is a cool road too, get's even better on the AZ side  

Not in the Mountains or twisty, but riding NM81 down to Antelope Wells is pretty cool. Some great scenery. Another gem I rode on the LOE1000 was the Queens Highway.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=NM-137+S%2FQueens+Hwy&daddr=NM-137+N%2FQueens+Hwy&hl=en&sll=32.258135,-104.61143&sspn=0.678212,1.058807&geocode=FQ5X6AEdlFfA-Q%3BFagZ8AEd8jbH-Q&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=10&source=gplus-ogsb

It runs into the Brokeoff Mountains and was an awesome road. Had to ride there to get The Flying Paperboy of the Guadalupe Mountains monument bonus location.

[Duc OT]

Don't forget 180.  It pretty much parallels (in a twisty sort of way) Hwy 191.  But is much more tamer.

[Justin]

Don't forget 180.  It pretty much parallels (in a twisty sort of way) Hwy 191.  But is much more tamer.

Much much tamer

[Kneescrubber]

If you go during Memorial Day weekend, Silver City hosts a great blues festival in town. http://www.mimbresarts.org/blues_home.html  My gf and I are planning on being there next year. I'll be bringing the bike and riding the week afterwards.

[sslangs]

sounds like some great roads,  any ideas for good motel  or camping ?  Any suggestion for good eats ?

[Kneescrubber]

http://www.gilahot.com/

[expatbrit]

Much much tamer

MUCH MUCH MUCH. Still pretty, but I left it off. It makes a nice loop back or down to 191, though.

[stromgal]

Mods must be sleeping in.  

[Orson]

My dad says you don't try except during the playoffs.

Listen kid. Tell yer old man to try dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes every night

 

[buls4evr]

 The highway #s are NM78 (not 76) through Mule Creek. 15 runs North out of Silver and 35 (not 36) runs back down from Mimbres. 152 is a really nice one through the Black Range toward Hillsboro. NM 27 out of Hillsboro is also fun. Lots of good East AZ roads are quite accessable also. Center your quest in Deming or Silver City as they have plenty of good motels and as far as places to eat Adobe Deli in Deming is not to be missed. You are also not far from Las Cruces.....   great eats at Andele and La Posta Mesilla. At Deming  Palomas ,Mexico is only 33 miles South. Swing across the border and get a great Mexican dinner at the Pink Store. Lots to see down there. The Glenwood Catwalk, City of Rocks. The place where Pancho Villa invaded the US in 1916 is down in Columbus, 30 mins South of Deming and has a great museum there. Also ghost towns at Lake Valley, Shakespeare and Steins. A lot to see and do.

[zigzag]

159 to Mogollon is sweet (if not dangerous). So is the 152 from Silver to Hillsboro as mentioned and north of Silver towards Roberts Lake.

[expatbrit]

 The highway #s are NM78 (not 76) through Mule Creek. 15 runs North out of Silver and 35 (not 36) runs back down from Mimbres. 152 is a really nice one through the Black Range toward Hillsboro. NM 27 out of Hillsboro is also fun. Lots of good East AZ roads are quite accessable also. Center your quest in Deming or Silver City as they have plenty of good motels and as far as places to eat Adobe Deli in Deming is not to be missed. You are also not far from Las Cruces.....   great eats at Andele and La Posta Mesilla. At Deming  Palomas ,Mexico is only 33 miles South. Swing across the border and get a great Mexican dinner at the Pink Store. Lots to see down there. The Glenwood Catwalk, City of Rocks. The place where Pancho Villa invaded the US in 1916 is down in Columbus, 30 mins South of Deming and has a great museum there. Also ghost towns at Lake Valley, Shakespeare and Steins. A lot to see and do.

Thanks! That'll teach me to fire out suggestions while working -- slip a digit on EVERY road number. Appreciate setting me straight, on twisty roads no less.

[Justin]

Also, 152 was great when I road it this October. Apparently all the chip-seal they just dumped on the road the year before is now on the sides of the road.  

[buls4evr]

Also, 152 was great when I road it this October. Apparently all the chip-seal they just dumped on the road the year before is now on the sides of the road.  

  Maybe my complaints to the Grant Co road commision did some good Justin.


  Expatbrit.... Did not mean that as a hard check into the boards on the numbers. Just did not want the OP to look at a map trying to find roads not there. I know that you know those roads!

[Justin]

Maybe my complaints to the Grant Co road commision did some good Justin.

Judging from how bad that road was the last year when I rode it, I would not be surprised at all if they had received tons of complaints. It was downright unsafe.

[expatbrit]

  Expatbrit.... Did not mean that as a hard check into the boards on the numbers. Just did not want the OP to look at a map trying to find roads not there. I know that you know those roads!

Totally! I seriously meant it -- I appreciate the corrections, for me and the OPs sake

[cruisin]

For the benefit of the OP's time-line planning; if you are into more than just riding, set aside some half day blocks of time for sight seeing in some of the places mentioned above.  The catwalk, Gila Cliff Dwellings, City of rocks, Mogollon, etc. can take up to three or four hours of walking if you take many pictures and/or read the historical plaques associated with each place.

For eats, don't miss the Bear Wallow in Alpine, AZ on the north end of the fun part of 191 and if it is open, the Purple Onion in Mogollon.  

There are also interesting photo-ops at the silver mines just north of Morenci on 191 and east of Silver City on 152.

Here are a few shots from an October 2009 trip where a friend and I stayed a few nights in Silver City and made day trip loops from there.

[cruisin]

. . . and just a few more shots from the same trip.