Mountainair, NM Road Trips
Plan drives from Mountainair, NM with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Dmitriy Menshikov
Trip Routes
1
Longest Drive
45.6 mi
Dunn Place, NM
Quickest Drive
1h 12m
Dunn Place, NM
Plan Around Mountainair, NM
Continue From Mountainair, NM
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Mountainair, NM
Traveler Guide to Mountainair, NM
Mountainair is a small town in Central New Mexico. It is most well known for being the home of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Mountainair is located on the eastern side of the Manzano Mountains, separated from the rest of Central New Mexico.
1 Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, ☏ +1 505 847-2585. 8AM-5PM. The Salinas Pueblo Missions are a series of ruins of several Native American villages and Spanish missions dating back to Spanish colonial times, which were later abandoned. The monument is composed of three sites: Abo, Quarai, and Gran Quivira. All three showcase the remains of impressive Spanish missions and the partially excavated Native American villages alongside them. All three sites also have a small ranger station and gift shop, where you can learn about the history of the site and purchase trail guides. Free. Visitor Center. The headquarters and visitor center for the park is located in the town of Mountainair and has exhibits of various archaeological items from the ruins as well as park information. Abo Ruins, located 9 miles west of Mountainair, just off US-60. Abo preserves the remnants of a tall Spanish mission and the connecting structure, set against the scenic backdrop of the Manzano Mountains. A half-mile trail circles through some nearby mounds which are the unexcavated remains of a pueblo. Quarai Ruins, located 8 miles north of Mountainair, just off NM-55. At Quarai is the most complete church in the whole monument — an impressive structure that towers above the visitor who walks through its remains. The half-mile loop trail also passes by unexcavated mounds and a small creek. A small museum is located at the ranger station. Gran Quivira, located 25 miles south of Mountainair, just off NM-55.
The nearby Manzano Mountains offer opportunities for hiking, camping, and picnicking. The Manzano Mountains State Park, located north of Mountainair outside of the town of Manzano, offers camp sites and hiking trails.
Mountainair is located on US-60 about 40 miles east of I-25. The intersection with I-25 lies between Belen and Socorro, about 50 miles south of Albuquerque. US-60 continues east into Southeast New Mexico, passing through Fort Sumner and Clovis. From the north, a more scenic (and longer) trip from Albuquerque is to take I-40 to Tijeras, then take NM-337 south to NM-55 south, which brings you into Mountainair through several small settlements. This route passes by the eastern side of the Manzano Mountains.
Travel tips adapted from Mountainair on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
Nearby Hubs
Other cities within driving distance of Mountainair, NM that also have route pages.
Escape Planner
Where to go from Mountainair, NM?
Curated day trips, weekend getaways, and overnight routes — grouped by how much time you have and the kind of trip you want.
Drives from Mountainair, NM in your inbox
Monthly note with new routes, weekend drive ideas, and seasonal picks for NM. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Browse more NM road trips or choose a route from Mountainair, NM above.