National Scenic Byway · New Mexico

Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway

Black Range mining towns and Emory Pass on the Geronimo Trail, based in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway: Caballo Mountains Overlooking Caballo Lake

Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source

  • Length154 miles[1]
  • Drive timeAbout 13 hours including backtracking, or two or three days[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
  • RoadsIncludes NM 152 through Hillsboro and Kingston over Emory Pass[3]
  • Start and endCentered on Truth or Consequences, with a southern leg on NM 152 west over the Black Range[2]
  • Fees and passesNo fees to drive the byway[1]
  • Best seasonNot verified
  • SurfaceNot verified
  • Vehicle notesNM 152 between San Lorenzo and Kingston has steep grades and tight turns; trucks without retarder brakes or longer than 40 feet are prohibited there.[5]
  • 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 Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway centers on Truth or Consequences, where the interpretive and visitor center sits in the historic hot springs district. Its southern leg follows NM 152 west through the old mining towns of Hillsboro and Kingston, then switchbacks over Emory Pass in the Black Range.

Hillsboro was once a gold mining center and county seat; Kingston boomed on silver. The vista at Emory Pass looks out over the range.

FHWA suggests two or three days for the whole byway. NM 152 near Kingston is steep and tight, and long trucks are banned there.

Stops along the way

  1. Truth or Consequences

    Hot springs town with the Geronimo Trail Interpretive and Visitor Center.

    Official information · 33.12841, -107.25282 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

  2. Hillsboro

    Former gold mining town and old county seat.

    Official information · 32.92091, -107.56698 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

  3. Kingston

    Old silver mining town in the Black Range.

    Official information · 32.91702, -107.70615 · about 0.0 mi from the route line

  4. Emory Pass

    Vista point on NM 152 at the top of the Black Range.

    Official information · 32.91008, -107.76671 · about 0.0 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

  • the Farm MarketHillsboro, NM · about 0.0 mi from the route
  • Mimbres Valley Farmers' MarketSan Lorenzo, NM · about 1.2 mi from the route
  • Silver City Farmers' Market Midweek MarketSilver City, NM · about 18.0 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

  1. America's Byways: Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway (New Mexico Tourism Department) (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. The Ghost Towns of the Black Range (New Mexico Magazine, New Mexico Tourism Department) (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. Emory Pass Vista Observation Site (Gila National Forest, USDA Forest Service) (checked 2026-10-22)
  5. New Mexico Department of Transportation closes State Highway 152 (Gila National Forest news release) (checked 2026-10-22)
  6. 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).

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