---
id: "11303"
name: Lake Valley Back Country Byway
distance: "48"
duration: 2 hours to drive the byway.
description: This backway is nestled between the Mimbres and Caballo Mountains and the Cookes Range in southwestern New Mexico. Drive NM 152 and 27 between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, near a string of lakes and reservoirs.
path: okyeEvrynSiK`TMz@g@`@}Wfj@KjA_BtDm@vA{B~HQtAIXQldBC`Mm@tDqBrEqCjDiCnBuBb@mCPgaAB{_@NaORgg@NwIFcGZoD`@_HxAoGlBEDsmApl@}Av@}BfAoFhCgEvBuDfBcEnBqCrAsG|CuNfHiIzDeIbEwE|BuBdAoHlDeD`BkB~@cEpBoDdBuCtAyIjE_Ad@mHpDcAd@gAj@oAl@{BfAgD`BcBz@wHxDkDbBuFnCiAl@oEzBoDdBcBz@eCnAg@Xe@TyJ|EwFpC{Ax@mB~@wNhHiGzCyAt@iHjDiCnAwAr@uBv@y@Tc@LSD}@Hi@@w@DeACg@Ay@OaB[_BYkAKqAGy@Ag@CqAAi@?s@Dw@Ho@Ju@Xg@R_Ah@w@l@kAhA_Az@c@^{FjFgBbBgB~A}FpF{ArAyCnCmDdDgHnGmAjA{DhD}CxCu@|@mA|AmAdB_ApA_AnAcA`B{AvBaEzFaDzE[l@i@nAm@rB[rAaAfFYvAk@~B{A~FaBxFy@vCiCdJm@bBqAfC]l@c@p@a@l@a@b@a@^u@l@eD|BcEpCaElCeCfBeBhA}@n@iD`Cs@d@sBvA_@Rk@b@i@`@kAfA}@hAeBdCqAhBeBzBc@n@e@bAS^]`AuBdGcAnCaB|Ea@pAOl@CPUlAIfAEt@C|@CdE@xCAdCCz@E~@]jBi@fCq@pDk@nCo@rC]tAs@pDY|A[`BMv@Kb@G\Qp@Qf@Yh@e@r@a@j@c@d@uAnAgBdBqAlAw@h@sAp@_A^_AXkAPy@Hi@Hc@@[AYGc@Ko@[g@Ya@Wi@[aAe@yAy@a@S]WKQSU[s@I]I_@Ia@Q_@a@m@[_@c@[a@Qu@Qm@OiBScDY_EY_AOi@MqCy@aDaA{@Wc@I_AA}BJ{@Bm@Ge@Ma@Sk@a@_@[c@c@gAoAu@eAoAsBc@w@_@c@_@Y[Qc@KqBg@eASg@Oc@Ma@OYQ[Q_@[SY_@i@Qe@Ic@ISK_@Ug@[c@UWcAq@eAe@aA]eAY_@Em@CmBBwADG?m@Am@E]Gm@IaAWw@]cA_@_A[kAk@s@e@WSOQUYYw@Ia@AWS_ASm@Sc@]e@]a@a@Yy@a@q@SOGYQSKKKw@u@_@c@yBwB}@u@i@k@[e@Sa@Oe@Ga@Es@@c@@s@Bw@@o@Ei@Ik@Ou@g@yA[u@Si@k@_Ac@s@uDaFmDyE}B}Ca@c@g@c@k@Yo@Yy@Sg@WYK[YQQ[i@e@iAm@{Ae@eA_BwCkBqC_A_Bq@eAm@y@y@eAq@m@eAu@_@OeDeAoCu@oFcBe@Q}@a@eB_AsEkCkAe@aBa@_@CeAOw@Gq@AcK~@}CPs@FaAFq@@}@CaCOoE_@aCScAOy@MYGaAYyBi@u@MGCk@Gw@C_C@i@?{AFiAHy@DcA@i@Ee@Ca@Mc@S_@[UYS[a@{@o@gAUU[W]Ow@S]A[?[F_@R[ZYb@m@nASh@]n@g@r@o@d@_Bz@_AZmA`@m@J_@@cAAuBSkCi@_AU}Ai@cHyCkAk@k@[sAgAa@c@kAuAeD{D}BiC}DsEMQcFcGY[]W[Q]Kq@Qy@GwAAsBBkANy@PwCv@wA`@aB`@aALsCf@iC^s@NuALq@@wA@eCAsBEiCA{@@a@?_@Bu@JaDp@{C^e@Do@@uA@aAAY?mA?}@Fk@F_@H_@Rw@b@a@Ve@Nc@Jc@Fe@@gACe@E{@O_Do@uBe@cLyBgE}@aEw@wCk@kCe@_@G]GkAAoHC_GAuQEwODwCGuAGuBKoCWgAKuRqAwAOkAQ}Bi@sB]UGs@KiAOYA]Eo@AkB@eDFiCFuABiANy@NkEfAaAPuAPkAFeBHwGP}BH_A@s@?o@Aw@KaLgBsA]kAY_DeAqBq@[KaDeAo@Y_Ae@_@Y[[W[i@{@q@iAo@wAa@w@_@u@u@aBeAeCk@gAu@_A{@}@a@[c@We@Qg@Kg@E{@AsJ\_JRu@De@Di@?g@EiAQo@O_@Cc@?g@Fc@Hm@TkAr@kAv@cA|@u@r@eAt@y@b@g@PgAXm@Ng@Re@X{@|@m@j@m@\g@RyA`@mS|E}Ab@wBn@aErA_Cp@uLxD_Bj@cAb@q@`@s@d@e@h@q@v@}@nAsCbEa@b@k@f@i@`@o@Zo@Vw@TyB`@oDj@aH|@oFz@kBVwLfBo@NWF_@Ho@Xk@\g@d@o@|@{IbNqDvFe@t@sArByFzI}A|Bq@`Am@z@g@j@w@t@aBxAuHjG}@l@w@b@iAb@y@Ru@NqEj@u@Nu@PaBl@qBhAsBtA_CzAcAt@e@`@i@j@a@f@e@p@iDhFu@fAw@fAo@r@y@v@k@d@iBjAsMpHiBdAqAr@_CrAWNgHzDmAr@aAh@eEjCeBlAy@t@}@z@_AbA]b@UXsBzCmCbEWX_@b@c@`@o@b@e@Pg@Pm@H_@Fc@?i@Ge@I_AYmAa@mJuDmC_AuAk@y@a@eAg@cAo@aBgAgBsAwAqAyA}A{BqCk@s@u@_A_@_@SQKKk@Yk@Qc@Ia@G_@?QDYHSNa@^[`@g@v@_BdCMVKZEVAH?t@JpA?JAPCLKPQNSFYDy@JKi@Oe@GOM_@Ui@kAgBKQOS]m@[k@M_@Wy@EYCW?IGa@A]Ak@AYK{G?sFFgCHyADa@JeAf@mENwBJaEFcDBqAFyAHq@v@gFHw@Bs@AoAIwAOaAQu@Yw@M]_@o@OSi@s@o@k@SOe@[c@Qu@Yw@Km@IWC_@AgAHs@F[DeGt@AbByK?gDuAeAiAgBsD{B{FwBsCuAqAiBLmD~@kEtBwBJg@C_AuAImBh@aNFSG{DiAiDi@Y_@eBmCmHE_ImB}MPeDhBaIfDsFPyEWeHKiBw@}BqBgBuAo@aByBiBkFOoClB}GYeCi@cBmDiFeAqByBkPcMkc@mBeFgLqR}AgE]Ks@wFPuSE{OUmI}@cKqAmHYKUgDOI_CuJmA}CyBcCeFsBwNmBwA]wb@{UaXmO_EeEs@GsAeJyRggBcCw\oU_kCyAuEmIoPwAgEiAsEa@eGqGi~Ad@aQfC{\HQz@sR`J_kAdLabBvC}]xKu|AvHor@vSagBxAwHnByHrBwExOeSrQ}WpB_ELFXcBRs@
organization:
  - url: https://www.blm.gov/visit/lake-valley-backcountry-byway
    name: Bureau of Land Management
websites:
  - url: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/03e6d455024b42129d9cb1ea087211b0#ref-n-WGHWcf
    name: New Mexico Scenic Byways Program
  - url: https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/scenic-byways/lake-valley-back-country/
    name: New Mexico Travel Guide
  - url: https://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/new-mexico/lake-valley-back-country-byway.php
    name: The Armchair Explorer
attractions:
  - url: https://www.blm.gov/office/taos-field-office
    name: BLM Taos Field Office
designations:
  - BLM Back Country Byway
states:
  - NM
ll:
  - -107.55125454545454
  - 32.92580909090909
bounds:
  - - -107.57805199999996
    - 32.57544400000006
  - - -107.31761818181819
    - 32.97517272727273

---

The Lake Valley Back Country Byway follows NM-152 and NM-27 for 48 miles through a mountainous region of New Mexico. It passes several mountain ranges, including the Caballo Mountains, Black Range, Cooke’s Range, and the Uvas Mountains.

Lake Valley, a ghost town, provides the byway's namesake. Take a self-guided walking tour of the town, beginning at the schoolhouse museum. When you're done, head east on the byway toward Nutt. You'll drive alongside a spur line of the old Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, built over 100 years ago. As you reach the end of the byway, notice the marks remaining in the earth from thriving railroad days gone by.