The Byway begins in Taos on NM 522, where you will find Taos Pueblo's beautiful multi-story skyline. Head nine miles north of Taos on NM 522 to Arroyo Hondo. It grew out of an 1815 Spanish land grant, and was the home of the fabled New Buffalo commune. The next stop is Questa, situated among wonderful hiking and camping places, including Cabresto Lake, Mallette Canyon, and Midnight Meadows. Travel east on NM 38 from Questa toward Red River, settled by miners from Elizabethtown in the late 1800s. The mines petered out, and the town is now known for its beautiful, high alpine scenery, skiing, fishing, and switchback roads through old mining country. The route then runs through Bobcat Pass and descends into the high alpine Moreno Valley, bounded by some of the most spectacular peaks in New Mexico. The circle closes in Taos, entering town on tree-lined Kit Carson Road.