The Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway
Spool Road to the Oklahoma Border

The Dry Cimarron Scenic Byway is a scenic back road in northeastern New Mexico that traverses high mesas and wide canyons, along the way showcasing a lot of what makes New Mexico the Land of Enchantment. In driving this scenic byway myself, I was surprised at the diversity of landscapes that I passed through (and I've only driven about 3/4 of the byway).

The countryside doesn't seem to get any drier between Spool Road and Oklahoma but the rock formations do get a bit more colorful. Spool Road is in the middle of a 17-mile section of the state highway that isn't paved: speed limit of 55 with lots of red dust behind you. You'll still see lots of large canyons heading off into the distance in all directions until you get close to the state line. Black Mesa is that big mesa to the north that you'll be travelling beneath for the last 20 miles or so before you come to the Rabbit Ears and cross into Oklahoma. Black Mesa still exists because of the lava flows on top that haven't eroded away over the millenia. Below that lava cap is a huge repository of fossilized dinosaur bones. Black Mesa is also the highest point in Oklahoma.