Fall Trippin’: A Fiesta of Fall Foliage

New Mexico’s high desert has blessed us with a wide variety of environments – from gypsum sand deserts to windswept grass plains to coniferous mountain forests. We’re also subject to a wide fluctuation in weather and temperature: triple digit drought in summer and ski-condition snowfall in the winter. Which is what makes the fall such a welcome time in our state. The monsoon season is over, the 100 degree days are behind us, and the chili crop is getting ready for roasting.

Sandwiched between the heat of summer and the cold of winter, we get a perfect, comfortable window to watch the trees in our mountainous zones shift slowly through a blaze of fall colors. There are plenty of amazing spots in our state – particularly here in central and northern New Mexico – to take in some picture-perfect fall foliage. 

According to explorefall.com’s interactive fall foliage map for 2025, this year’s flora fireworks are expected to start in early-September near the Colorado border. By the end of the month, we should see peak colors down into the mountains around Santa Fe. By mid-October, the Sangre de Cristos to the north, the Sacramento Mountains to the south and much of the Colorado Plateau to the west should be lit up in various shades of yellow and red. But you need to get out there while you can. By the end of October, most of the state’s forests will be past peak color and hurriedly shedding their browned-out leaves for winter.

Here, then, is our guide to some of the best places to see fall foliage. Drive some of our state’s scenic byways, take some pictures, drop in on a few small mountain towns, and while you’re out and about, stop off for some food, some drink, a bit of shopping and maybe even an overnight stay. It’s Fall Trippin’ time; let’s head out!

Jemez Mountains

Jump on Highway 4 heading north into the Jemez Mountains and you’ll find yourself snaking up along the lazy Jemez River past Jemez Pueblo to Jemez Springs. Along the way, you’re likely to see miles of pale aspens flashing bright against the dark red rocks. Stop off to take a dip in assorted commercial hot springs (Giggling Springs, The Jemez Springs Bath House, Canon del Rio Retreat and Spa) or the famed roadside Soda Dam. Have some lunch at Jemez Mountain Brewhouse, Los Ojos Restaurant or the Highway 4 Cafe & Bakery. Shop at Jemez Fine Art Gallery, Jemez Artisans Co-op or Jemez Mt. Pottery & Sculpture. If you feel like spending the night, there are a handful of charming overnight spots such as Jemez Canyon Inn, The River House at Jemez Springs and Dragonfly Cottage. There are several public camping spots in the area as well, if you wanna rough it and sleep out under that patchwork of yellow, gold and orange trees. 

Keep heading up Highway 4 until it loops back south, and you’ll pass the million-year-old Valles Caldara National Preserve. It’s a gorgeous drive through one of the state’s most unique geological formations any time of year. Odds are you’ll see a few wild animals – especially elk herds, since the long-extinct volcanic crater boasts the second largest elk population in our state. End your journey heading east to Los Alamos, historic birthplace of atomic energy. Stop off at the Los Alamos Nature Center or the Bradbury Science Center for a little education. This 66-mile byway begins at the junction of US 550 and State Road 4 northwest of Bernalillo in the pastoral village of San Ysidro (population: under 200), named for the patron saint of farmers (of which there are many in the area). 

Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway 

We all know Santa Fe proper with its trendy day spas, expensive galleries and handmade Native American jewelry arrayed under the shady portal of the 17th century Spanish adobe capitol. But after a day of shopping and touristing, how about heading out of town into a 13,000-foot aspen-filled alpine wilderness? Aspens are the gold standard of fall foliage, offering hues from fiery crimson to buttery yellow to, well, standard gold. And the forest north of Santa Fe is stocked with aspens aplenty. 

The Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway (State Road 475) originates in downtown Santa Fe at what New Mexico True hails as the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors, and loops 15 miles through an aspen-evergreen forest to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. The road jogs through Hyde Memorial Park, home to the massive stone-and-log Hyde Park Lodge. If you feel like some fall camping, the park offers seven electric sites in addition to group shelters, picnic areas, trails and 50 developed campsites. Trailheads, picnic areas and campgrounds lead travelers into the backcountry, where aspen meadows and sparkling waterfalls form perfect vistas in which to observe fall in New Mexico. Further on down the Byway are the IV Overlook and the Vista Grande Overlook, both great places to stop, look and take some pictures. Since it all starts on the Santa Fe Plaza, you’ll pass local food favorites like The Bull Ring, La Boca, The Mud Hut by Agapao Coffee and Santacafe heading north on Washington Ave./Bishops Lodge Rd. Artist Rd./Hyde Park Rd. eventually swings past the luxury accommodations of the Japanese-style hot springs resort Ten Thousand Waves. Feel free to stop off for a soak and a massage and do some fine Asian dining at Izanami Restaurant. (Go easy on the sake, though, if you’re the designated driver.) At the end of the road is Ski Santa Fe. The Express Quad chairlift will open on Sept. 13, taking riders on a round trip through the dazzling pre-winter forest (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays). You can reserve tickets online starting Sept. 1 (skisantafe.com/).

High Road to Taos

The High Road to Taos Scenic Byway is a 56-mile route along Highway 76 through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Carson National Forest where you’ll see miles of chameleon-like piñons and junipers transforming in unison with the rising elevations and the seasonal temperature drop as they fade and blend into the evergreen Jemez Mountains on the horizon. No matter what you believe, the drive and the views will prove to be a religious experience – both figuratively and literally –  because in addition to gazing at panoramic views of God’s country, you can visit historic churches, art galleries and ancient pueblos along the way. The byway travels through Chimayo, a Catholic holy land where the plant life might be so vibrant because it’s fed by blessed earth many believe contains healing properties. You may want to stop by the Santuario de Chimayo and El Posito – a hole in the floor of the side chapel where the ailment-curing soil originates. Long before you hit the touristy Taos plaza or Taos Pueblo, the largest Pueblo in the state, and a sacred land that has been continuously inhabited for 1000 years, you can veer off on the N.M. 503 exit into the luxurious and lesser-known Nambe Pueblo. Its slopes are loaded with thick groves of towering cottonwoods and their smaller scrub oak cousins, and the drive leads to the Nambe Falls and Lake Recreation Area. It’s one of the best trout fishing gems in New Mexico, but equally impressive are the hiking and picnic areas surrounding sparkling double-drop waterfalls. Farther up the high road, stop at the US Hill pullout (State Road 518), which provides a view of the Carson Forest, with Wheeler Peak above it. 

Popular eateries in the Taos area include Lamberts of Taos, La Luna @ La Fonda, Michael’s Kitchen, The Love Apple, Gutiz, Taos Pizza Out Back, The Alley Cantina and Taos Mesa Brewing. The historic Taos Inn, built in 1934, is a favorite place to stay. The luxurious La Fonda, situated on the plaza, followed in 1937. El Monte Sagrado didn’t show up until 2003, but it offers high-end amenities such as a spa, restaurant and saltwater pool – and what may be the best view in town. Looking for something funkier? Try Hotel Luna Mystica, a series of 22 renovated vintage trailers on a mesa near the Taos Gorge Bridge. If you’re thinking of planning a trip toward Taos – and maybe music is your religion – you might want to schedule it for Sept. 4 through 6 when Michael Hearne’s 23rd annual Big Barn Dance takes over Kit Carson Park. More than 25 bands will be there, bringing the best in Americana, folk, country and bluegrass to northern New Mexico. Among this year’s performers are Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys, Michael Martin Murphey, Trout Fishing in America, Bill Hearne Trio and Lost Austin Band.

Enchanted Circle

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway links the cities of Taos, Questa, Angel Fire, and Eagle Nest, but there are phenomenal tree-gazing stops in between, including Cabresto Lake, Mallette Canyon and Midnight Meadows above Questa. Bobcat Pass above Red River descends into the high-alpine Moreno Valley, home of Angel Fire (which everyone knows about) and Eagle Nest Lake where the pike fishing has been on fire lately. The route circles the mountains until it reaches Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s highest mountaintop, but along the way you can see two billion-year-old terrain made of quarts and feldspar that has only grown more beautiful with age. Speaking of fire, you can relish in contrasting landscapes such as the much more recent burn scar left by the Hondo fire of 1996 where spots of colorful new tree life burst out of the black, nutrient-rich earth. Some of the most popular destinations along the circle include the D.H. Lawrence memorial in the Hondo Valley, the old-west-style saloons and fish hatchery at Red River and the art co-op known as Artesanos de Questa. Here you can admire the craftsmanship of woodworkers, tinsmiths, painters, and stained glass workers who have transformed the area’s trees and other natural resources into visual and functional representations of the region’s culture.

The Taos Canyon between Angel Fire and Taos is filled with bike and hiking trails where you’ll see vibrant yellow aspens virtually everywhere during the trek, and at lower elevations, conifers and junipers paint the precipitous mountain canvas in purple, yellow and various earth tones. You might see Rocky Mountain maples with reddish-orange leaves in the Sandias, but during this drive that takes you through various elevations, diving through canyons, and zigzagging between steep slopes, you will see them in vast numbers. 

Pro tip: there’s a hidden lake sitting on a huge plateau about ten miles south of Angel Fire. Find it, and you’ll be able to ditch the tourists and maybe even most of the locals.

Taos to Chama on U.S. 64

U.S. 64 across the Carson National Forest between Taos and Chama, through Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla can be an adventure, particularly when the winter snows hit — but the beginning of fall is a fine time to make the trek, when the air is cool, the colors incredible and the traffic minimal. The view of Brazos Cliffs is spectacular. You’re following rivers the whole trip, so the kaliedescoping cottonwoods you will see sprinkled along the way conceal dozens of little hideaways as the virtually unused roads snake westward. Hopewell Lake Trailheads and Campground is a blissfully secluded retreat situated among ponderosa pines, blue spruces, Douglas firs and mountain mahoganies in various stages of color change depending on the species. Stops along the way from Taos (with short detours) to Chama include the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico River Adventures and Enchanted Circle Pottery. 

When you jump back on U.S. 84 and head North along the Chama river, there are tons of quaint little tree-speckled riverside detours, and one very big one: Heron Lake – the fourth-largest reservoir in the state. Below the lake and surrounding forest lies a legendary stretch of the San Juan river where fly fishermen from around the world travel for a chance to hook into a massive German brown trout. But perhaps you’d be even luckier if you post up in a cabin or hide in the shady riverside tree line to catch a glimpse of a bald eagle – yes, they are numerous here – as it swoops across a patch of willows or adlers and lands majestically atop a Rio Grande Cottonwood. It’s America the beautiful, indeed.

The Road to Sandia Crest

The Sandia Crest Scenic Byway is part of the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway (another perfect New Mexico drive taking the “back road” to Santa Fe through Madrid). The trail to Sandia Crest begins by turning off I-40 at Tijeras and winding your way behind the Sandias through Cedar Crest. Ditch the Turquoise Trail (for the moment) by turning on the all-weather, paved Sandia Crest Highway (State Road 536) at San Antonito and passing through Sandia Park to continue the ascent. You’ll be deep in the Cibola National Forest, which is filled with a wide variety of trees at the lowest level but turns quickly to evergreen firs as you climb the full two miles above sea level to Sandia Peak. There, you can look down on Albuquerque and see the bright seam of leafy color that marks the Rio Grande Bosque. If you’re up for a walk, the North Crest Trail heads north out of the Sandia Crest parking lot and offers a picture-perfect hike over some towering aspen groves. With luck, you might spot some of the local wildlife, including bighorn sheep, mule deer and black bears. 

Along the way to the top of the Sandias, there are plenty of small town treasures for the road tripper to sample. In Tijeras you can pause for sweets at the Old Tyme Shop & Ice Cream Parlor or adult beverages at Rock Canyon Cider. In Cedar Crest you can load up on food and drink at Burger Boy, Cabra Coffee, Rumor Brewing Company and Trail Rider Pizza. Polk’s Folly Farm is another Cedar Crest secret, a local fresh food stand featuring seasonal vegetables, eggs, raw milk, fresh bread and a butcher shop stocked with lamb, beef, chicken, rabbit and house-made heritage pork sausage. San Antonito features the Lantern Ridge Farm Market, a restaurant, plant nursery and local farmer’s market. (The farmer’s market runs every Saturday through Oct. 4.) In Sandia Park you can take a detour at Lazy Lizard Grill for food and drinks or stop off and ogle the famed folk art roadside attraction that is Tinkertown Museum. And you can top off your drive at Sandia Peak itself with a visit to Ten 3, an “elevated dining experience” with a breathtaking view and a menu filled with seafood, pork loin, duck breast, prime rib and all the fixings.

The Village of Corrales

Corrales, that lovely rural addendum to Albuquerque’s North Valley, is one of the most picturesque spots in the city any time of the year. And in fall, it comes alive with color. If you want to get a good tour of the bosque-adjacent area’s countless towering cottonwoods fluorescing to pale yellow, take a turn off Corrales Rd. and head east on Mariquita. The short road heads directly toward the Rio Grande through some of Corrales’ most impressive properties. (According to Realtor.com, the median asking price for houses along Mariquita is $829,500.) Take pretty much any turn off Corrales Rd. heading toward the mountains, though, and you’ll quickly find yourself skirting the bosque for a beautiful fall drive. 

The Village of Corrales itself is lined with wonderful little galleries, coffee shops and breweries to linger in before and after your arboreal excursion. Stop by Ex Novo Brewery & Taproom for an outdoor beer garden with lots of grass, trees and space for friends and family. Casa Vieja is a cozy wine bar and brewery with live local music on the weekends. Perea’s Tijuana bar serves drinks and dishes up some classic Mexican food as well. On the other end of the spectrum, Corrales Teas & Chocolate has you covered for caffeinated sips. Hanna & Nate’s is a cute little market cafe perfect for lunch. Indigo Crow Cafe, Mulas and Restaurant Forty Nine Forty have high-end dining covered, while the casual Village Pizza serves up delicious Italian pies. Nearly every one of these spots boasts courtyard seating that’s perfect for watching the setting sun turn the Sandias watermelon-colored.

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque

Los Ranchos de Albuquerque stretches north and south in the corridor between Old Town and Alameda. Often overlooked, this historic area boasts a beautiful mix of neighborhoods, fields and farmlands. A trip down Rio Grande will steer you between the wide variety of trees that line the boulevard. Mature cottonwoods are, of course, in abundance anywhere close to the river. But lacebark elms, Chinese pistache, salt cedars and silver maples all make appearances along the route, alongside popular fruit trees including peach, apple, pomegranate and fig. This ensures a multi-hued canvas of colors as the leaves turn different shades at different times throughout the fall. It makes for a quick and easy afternoon drive close to home. 

A mix of fast food chains and tiny local restaurants dot the course. But don’t forget, this area is home to some of the city’s best sit-down dining. Campo at Los Poblanos, Los Ranchos Bakery, Farm & Table, Vernon’s Speakeasy, The Butcher (a.k.a Vernon’s front room), Dave’s Valley Grill, Casa de Benevidez, Lavender Concinita and El Pinto are some of the neighborhood favorites. If you just need a cool drink, Steel Bender Brewyard has got you covered. In addition to its restaurant, bar and farm shop, Los Poblanos Historic Inn offers boutique hotel accommodations if you’re in a staycation mood. Sarabande Bed & Breakfast also offers a relaxing, semi-rural stay. If you’ve got some money burning a hole in your pocket, keep in mind that Los Ranchos is also the unofficial antiquing hub of Albuquerque with the Los Ranchos Antique Mall, Antique Co-op and A Few Old Things leading the resale retail pack.

Fall Trippin’: A Fiesta of Fall Foliage is a story from The Paper.. Publishing from New Mexico’s largest city, The Paper is your source for local, independent news, covering politics, arts, culture, and events.