New Mexico State Road 4
Encyclopedia
New Mexico State Road 4 is a state highway
in New Mexico
, United States of America. It is significant as the main access route (in conjunction with New Mexico State Road 501
and New Mexico State Road 502
) connecting the remote town of Los Alamos
, Los Alamos National Laboratory
, and Bandelier National Monument
to other, more major highways in New Mexico. Its total length is approximately 64 miles (103 km).
, at U.S. Route 550
. The route passes through Jemez Pueblo
and Jemez Springs
as it climbs steeply into the Jemez Mountains
and Santa Fe National Forest
, and skirts the southern boundary of Valles Caldera National Preserve. On the east side of the Jemez Mountains, it descends even more steeply, on a series of hairpin turn
s offering spectacular views into Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument
, to a junction with NM 501 (NM 502 in some references, but NM 501 is correct) leading east into the town of Los Alamos. NM 4 itself continues past the main entrance to Bandelier and several Los Alamos National Laboratory sites, as well as the town of White Rock
, to another junction with NM 502 east of Los Alamos, where the route ends. The continuation of NM 502 to Pojoaque
was formerly designated as NM 4 as well.
In contrast to several other state highways in northern New Mexico, New Mexico Route 4 is paved
for its entire length. It is predominantly a 2-lane road, with passing lane
s in several places in the mountains. A short section near White Rock is 4-lane. Speed limit
s on most of the highway are 50 or 55 miles per hour (mph), although the tight curves make it dangerous to maintain maximum speed in many sections. Speed limits are lower near and through the towns.
The coniferous forest traversed by Route 4 in its upper regions is prone to severe forest fires, several of which have burned up to the highway. Unfortunately, the highway is too narrow to serve as an effective firebreak
, and such devastating fires as the 1977 La Mesa Fire
and 2000 Cerro Grande Fire
, the most severe forest fire in the state's history, have jumped the road to destroy forests, and habitations, on both sides of the road—in the case of the Cerro Grande Fire, into the upper reaches of Frijoles Canyon, contributing significantly to the magnitude of the disaster caused by the fire.
. The Byway includes short excursions on New Mexico State Roads 502, 126
, and 290. Notable points of interest on the NM 4 section of the Byway include:
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States of America. It is significant as the main access route (in conjunction with New Mexico State Road 501
New Mexico State Road 501
New Mexico Route 501 is a very short state highway in New Mexico, United States of America. Its total length is only about . New Mexico Route 501's southwestern terminus is at New Mexico State Road 4 west of Los Alamos. It runs northeast into the town of Los Alamos, where it ends...
and New Mexico State Road 502
New Mexico State Road 502
New Mexico State Road 502 is a state highway in New Mexico, United States of America. It is notable as the main access route to Los Alamos National Laboratory , Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Mountains, and town of Los Alamos.-Route description:New Mexico 502...
) connecting the remote town of Los Alamos
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Los Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
, and Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument is a National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, and most of its backcountry...
to other, more major highways in New Mexico. Its total length is approximately 64 miles (103 km).
Route description
New Mexico Route 4's western terminus is in the small town of San YsidroSan Ysidro, New Mexico
San Ysidro is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 238 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, at U.S. Route 550
U.S. Route 550
U.S. Route 550 is a spur of U.S. Highway 50 that runs from Bernalillo, New Mexico to Montrose, Colorado in the western United States. The section from Silverton to Ouray is frequently called the Million Dollar Highway.- New Mexico :...
. The route passes through Jemez Pueblo
Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico
Jemez Pueblo is a census-designated place in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,953 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.The CDP is named after the pueblo at its center...
and Jemez Springs
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Jemez Springs is a village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 375 at the 2000 census. Named for the nearby Pueblo of Jemez, the village is the site of Jemez State Monument and the headquarters of the Jemez Ranger District...
as it climbs steeply into the Jemez Mountains
Jemez Mountains
The Jemez Mountains are a volcanic group of mountains in New Mexico, United States. The highest point in the range is Chicoma Mountain at an elevation of 11,561 feet . The town of Los Alamos and Los Alamos National Laboratory adjoin the eastern side of the range while the town of Jemez Springs...
and Santa Fe National Forest
Santa Fe National Forest
The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers 1,567,181 acres . Elevations range from 5,300 feet to 13,103 feet at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness...
, and skirts the southern boundary of Valles Caldera National Preserve. On the east side of the Jemez Mountains, it descends even more steeply, on a series of hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
s offering spectacular views into Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument is a National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, and most of its backcountry...
, to a junction with NM 501 (NM 502 in some references, but NM 501 is correct) leading east into the town of Los Alamos. NM 4 itself continues past the main entrance to Bandelier and several Los Alamos National Laboratory sites, as well as the town of White Rock
White Rock, New Mexico
White Rock is a census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,045 at the 2000 census. It is largely a bedroom community for employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory and their families...
, to another junction with NM 502 east of Los Alamos, where the route ends. The continuation of NM 502 to Pojoaque
Pojoaque, New Mexico
Pojoaque is a census-designated place in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,261 at the 2000 census. Pojoaque and Pojoaque Pueblo are neighboring communities...
was formerly designated as NM 4 as well.
In contrast to several other state highways in northern New Mexico, New Mexico Route 4 is paved
Pavement (material)
Road surface or pavement is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past cobblestones and granite setts were extensively used, but these surfaces have mostly been replaced by asphalt or concrete. Such...
for its entire length. It is predominantly a 2-lane road, with passing lane
Passing lane
A passing lane or overtaking lane is the lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the center of the road ....
s in several places in the mountains. A short section near White Rock is 4-lane. Speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
s on most of the highway are 50 or 55 miles per hour (mph), although the tight curves make it dangerous to maintain maximum speed in many sections. Speed limits are lower near and through the towns.
The coniferous forest traversed by Route 4 in its upper regions is prone to severe forest fires, several of which have burned up to the highway. Unfortunately, the highway is too narrow to serve as an effective firebreak
Firebreak
A firebreak is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebreak may occur naturally where there is a lack of vegetation or "fuel", such as a river, lake or canyon...
, and such devastating fires as the 1977 La Mesa Fire
La Mesa Fire
The La Mesa Fire was a wildfire on the Pajarito Plateau of New Mexico, USA, that was human-caused on the afternoon of June 16, 1977. Before it was contained one week later, the fire burned 15,444 acres of Bandelier National Monument and part of Los Alamos National Laboratory, where it reached...
and 2000 Cerro Grande Fire
Cerro Grande Fire
The Cerro Grande Fire was a disastrous forest fire in New Mexico, United States of America that occurred in May 2000. The fire started as a controlled burn, and became uncontrolled owing to high winds and drought conditions. Over 400 families in the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico lost their homes...
, the most severe forest fire in the state's history, have jumped the road to destroy forests, and habitations, on both sides of the road—in the case of the Cerro Grande Fire, into the upper reaches of Frijoles Canyon, contributing significantly to the magnitude of the disaster caused by the fire.
National Scenic Byway
New Mexico Route 4 forms the main artery of the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic BywayNational Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often...
. The Byway includes short excursions on New Mexico State Roads 502, 126
New Mexico State Road 126
New Mexico State Road 126 is a state highway in New Mexico, United States of America. Its total length is approximately . New Mexico Route 126's northern terminus is in the small town of Cuba, at U.S. Route 550...
, and 290. Notable points of interest on the NM 4 section of the Byway include:
- Jemez Pueblo;
- The red rock of Cañon de San Diego;
- The Jemez RiverJemez RiverThe Jemez River is a tributary of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The river is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Jemez River and San Antonio Creek, which drain a number of tributaries in the area of the Jemez Mountains and Santa Fe National Forest. The Jemez River is about ...
, with numerous protected areas affording access for fishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
; - Jemez State MonumentJemez State MonumentThe Jemez State Monument is a protected area in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States, in the village of Jemez Springs. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973....
, protecting both Puebloan ruins and ruins of a missionMission (station)A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
constructed by 16th-century SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorers; - Jemez Falls, a 70 feet (21.3 m)-high waterfallWaterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
reached by a short hikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trailTrailA trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
from a turnoff; - Valles Caldera National Preserve;
- Bandelier National MonumentBandelier National MonumentBandelier National Monument is a National Monument preserving the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. It is named after Swiss anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, who researched the cultures of the area. Bandelier was designated a National Monument on February 11, 1916, and most of its backcountry...
, with hiking and Nordic skiingNordic skiingNordic skiing is a winter sport that encompasses all types of skiing where the heel of the boot cannot be fixed to the ski, as opposed to Alpine skiing....
trails to Frijoles Canyon, Cerro Grande (highest summit in the monument, at 10,199 feet), and the TsankawiTsankawiTsankawi is a detached portion of Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, near White Rock. It is accessible from a roadside parking area just north of the intersection of East Jemez Road and State Road 4. A self-guided 1.5 mile loop trail provides access to numerous unexcavated ruins, caves...
outlier reachable from trailheads at turnouts.
External links
- N.M. Highways Page
- New Mexico Department of TransportationNew Mexico Department of TransportationThe New Mexico Department of Transportation is a state government organization which oversees transportation in the U.S. state of New Mexico...
- Consolidated Highway Database Section (route log)