A 48-mile rush through New Mexico’s Black Range Mountains, the Lake Valley Back Country Byway transports through flatlands and over sagebrush-covered hills to the era when mining fever ruled the area.
The byway begins just outside the town of Caballo, taking you down a narrow, two-lane road surrounded by a sea of grass that fades toward several small hills in the distance. Several photo-friendly horses and donkeys nibble lazily at the plants by the side of the road, so get out of the car for a few minutes, stretch your legs, and snap a shot or two of the equine locals. As you continue on, the terrain becomes more mountainous and even more deserving of a slot in your photo album, especially Monument Peak and Lizard Rock just outside the town of Lake Valley.
In its prime, Lake Valley’s silver mine contained the richest single body of silver ever found. Over a span of 12 years, the mine produced 2.5 million ounces of silver, but as the silver market dropped, the town’s popularity dropped with it. Today, you’ll find several of the buildings still standing, including a church, several homes, and a schoolhouse museum full of artifacts from the town’s glory days. An on-site BLM caretaker maintains all of the buildings, so during daylight hours you’re free to take a self-guided tour.
The byway ends in the town of Nutt, about 15 miles south of Lake Valley. As you leave Lake Valley, you’ll pass between the peaks of the Round and Nutt Mountains, a great place to stop for one last photo before you call it a day.
A drive full of desert sights and a calming sense of solitude, the Lake Valley Back Country Byway promises a relaxing retreat into this historic stretch of New Mexico’s more gentle terrain.
