The paved travel way of N14 has no specific facilities for wildlife searching and observing:  we improvise and do our surveying carefully along the increasingly busy backcountry highway between I-40 at Tijeras and Santa Fe. Short excursions on to the spur (country) roads, including the Crest Highway into the Sandia Mountains and its densely treed national forest, can be rewarding and leisurely. Be certain to have your Field Guide to the Sandias (mentioned earlier) along.

A couple other public areas accessed by Turquoise Trail (TT) spurs are noteworthy. There is the Cerrillos Hills State Historical Park a mile or so from sleepy downtown Cerrillos off County Road 57 (Waldo Canyon Road). The steep foot-trails excel in scurrying lizards and provide a workout.

One can make a left turn (coming from the south) on to La Madera Road just on-half mile north of the Sandia Park Triangle and head northeast for about eight curvy miles, through the rural neighborhood community of La Madera, and on to the Golden Open Space owned by the City of Albuquerque. A sign, gate and tiny car park marks the point to begin a half-mile hike over the steep reddish slopes of Seco Canyon overlook which is worthwhile. Back on the road one continues north, down into the eroded Hagan Basin “badlands”, bearing right at the intersect with Diamond Tail Ranch Road (Hagan-Puertecito on your map) and continue east another ~ 7 miles back to the pavement of N14. It’s a good scenic side trip and once past La Madera you probably won’t meet another car. But watch out for big Black-tailed Jackrabbits, raptors, reptiles and Possible a Mule Deer.

Nearly all travelers in New Mexico carry a detailed road atlas of which three are readily available (this writer prefers the Benchmark Maps, Fifth Edition) at service centers and bookstores in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. With road atlas, good binoculars and camera with a zoom, with no need for 4-wheel drive if the back roads are dry, keeping an eye out for spot storms in summer and avoiding them, it’s happy trails all the way.

Jeffrey Davis ~ 2010, all rights reserved.

See the other sections of the "Wildlife along the Turquoise Trail" for more information.
  Overview
  Mammals
  Birds
  Reptiles & Great Spiders
  Wildlife Survey Tips



Photo Copyright: Ken Lundy ~ 2010, all rights reserved.