Take a scenic ride through the heart of central New Mexico as we follow Interstate 25 north from San Felipe Pueblo to the outskirts of Santa Fe. This 25-mile journey along the CanAm Highway traces the rugged edge of the Ortiz Mountains and offers a glimpse into the layered geography and cultural richness of the Rio Grande Valley.
Our drive begins at mile marker 253, near the San Felipe Pueblo, one of several Keresan-speaking pueblos that have called this region home for centuries. Here, the highway rises gently from the floor of the Rio Grande basin, climbing out of the Albuquerque Basin toward the higher elevations of the Santa Fe Plateau. The land is wide and sun-drenched, marked by low desert scrub, distant volcanic cones, and the occasional streak of cottonwood trees hugging arroyos and seasonal creeks. Traffic is light but steady, a mix of tourists, locals, and long-haul truckers connecting Albuquerque to northern New Mexico and Colorado beyond.
As we head north, the terrain begins to shift. The roadway gains subtle elevation, and the wide-open vistas gradually give way to low, pine-dotted ridgelines. To the east lies Cochiti Mesa, and beyond that, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains begin to assert themselves on the horizon. Along this stretch, the La Bajada Escarpment becomes more prominent—a dramatic geological feature where volcanic cliffs form a natural wall separating the lower Rio Grande Valley from the highlands. While we don’t ascend the historic switchbacked Old La Bajada Hill—a notorious bottleneck of early Route 66 and the Santa Fe Trail—we do pass through its modern replacement: a series of sweeping curves and engineered cuts that tame the once-treacherous terrain.
Approaching Exit 267, the landscape grows more forested and the signs of Santa Fe’s reach become apparent. Low adobe-style homes begin to dot the slopes, and the rustic charm of northern New Mexico architecture blends with the arid landscape. By the time we reach Exit 278 for New Mexico Highway 14, we’ve arrived on the southern edge of Santa Fe—New Mexico’s historic capital and one of the oldest cities in the United States. From here, NM-14 becomes the celebrated Turquoise Trail, winding its way south toward Madrid and Cerrillos, both former mining towns now reborn as art colonies.
Though only 25 miles, this segment of I-25 represents a subtle transition—from the desert basin culture of the middle Rio Grande to the ancient, high-altitude hub of Santa Fe. It’s a microcosm of New Mexico’s vast diversity: native lands, geologic wonder, Spanish heritage, and modern movement—all layered together on a ribbon of concrete and sky. As we pull off the freeway and head toward the city proper, there’s a sense that we’ve crossed more than just miles—we’ve stepped through a portal to a different kind of time and space, one shaped as much by culture as by geography.
🎵 Music:
Piano March by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/
🗺️ Route Map
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