Drive the Lake Valley Back Country Scenic Byway

Highway 27 stretches from Highway 26, west of Hatch, to Hillsboro, NM. where it merges with NM 152. From there drive east to Interstate 25 near Lake Caballo where the scenic byway ends. It is a winding road with nice mountain views and a ghost town that is well worth a stop. Lake Valley ghost town still has some interesting sights to visit including a museum depicting the local history. The town of Hillsboro also has some very interesting sights and a good cafe where you can stop to have a good lunch. There is also the Black Range museum in Hillsboro. There are several interesting hiking trails along the scenic highway and you can pull over at many different spots to see the tall mountains peaks, ranches, and the Percha Box bridge which is also historic.

Should you want to drive west on NM 152 (instead of east to I-25) you can stop at Emory Pass with some great views of the Black Range. The section going west is not part of the Sky Valley Back Country scenic byway but part of the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway.