Abo Pass Trail
Abo Pass Trail is a State Scenic Byway in New Mexico. Within New Mexico it covers roughly 35 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Abo Pass Trail with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Abo Pass Trail Scenic Byway is a 31-mile drive in central New Mexico, linking Belén to the Manzano Mountains through the historic gap known as Abo Pass. Running along NM 47 and US 60 through Socorro, Torrance, and Valencia counties, the byway starts in Belén, a Rio Grande Valley town founded as a farming and railroad community, then climbs southeast across open grassland before cutting through the pass itself. The route follows a trade path first worn into the land around 1450 CE, when Puebloan traders used it to connect Rio Grande villages with the Salinas Pueblos to the east. Today it links two other designated routes, the El Camino Real and Salt Missions Trail scenic byways, making it a natural connector for a longer New Mexico road trip. The climb through Abo Pass itself is the highlight, opening onto sweeping views over the Manzano Mountains and the grassland below. It's a short but historically layered drive, worth the detour for the pass views alone.
- Belén to the Manzano Mountains
- 31 miles (NM 47 / US 60)
- Abo Pass
- pre-1450 CE Puebloan trade trail
- connects El Camino Real & Salt Missions Trail byways
- Salinas Pueblos
Plan a drive on Abo Pass Trail →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Abo Pass Trail
No campgrounds are listed close to Abo Pass Trail yet, but there are rooms near the route.
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