Billy the Kid Trail
An 84-mile Old West loop through New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest, from Ruidoso to the preserved frontier town of Lincoln and Fort Stanton.
Also known as Billy the Kid Scenic Byway
Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source
- Length84 miles[1]
- Drive timeAbout two hours of driving[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
- RoadsNot verified
- Start and endA triangular loop through Ruidoso Downs, Lincoln and the Lincoln National Forest[2]
- Fees and passesNo fees to drive the byway[1]
- Best seasonNot verified
- SurfaceNot verified
- Vehicle notesNot verified
- Seasonal closuresNot verified
Before you go
Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.
About the drive
The Billy the Kid Trail is a triangular loop in south-central New Mexico through the Lincoln National Forest. The state's tourism office describes the themes: gunfights and outlaws, Buffalo Soldiers, and Smokey Bear.
Lincoln, at the heart of the byway, is one of the best-preserved Old West towns in the country. Fort Stanton is nearby, and in Ruidoso Downs the Hubbard Museum of the American West is a good first stop. Ruidoso is the mountain resort town on the loop.
The loop takes about two hours to drive.
Stops along the way
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Ruidoso
Mountain resort town in the Lincoln National Forest.
Official information · 33.33175, -105.67305 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Ruidoso Downs
Home of the Hubbard Museum of the American West.
Official information · 33.32898, -105.60444 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Lincoln
One of the best-preserved Old West towns, the heart of the byway.
Official information · 33.49203, -105.38388 · about 0.0 mi from the route line
-
Fort Stanton
Historic military fort near Lincoln.
Official information · 33.49592, -105.52305 · about 0.1 mi from the route line
Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
Food along the way
Farmers markets within about 25 miles
- Rascal Fair/White Oaks Community MarketWhite Oaks, NM · about 16.8 mi from the route
Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.
Sources
- America's Byways: Billy the Kid Trail (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Billy The Kid Scenic Byway (New Mexico Tourism Department) (checked 2026-10-22)
- Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.
Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.
Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).