Chains or snow tires sometimes may be required. The National Forest maintains Black Canyon, Big Tesuque, and Aspen Basin campgrounds along the route. All are small and tend to fill early in the day. Hyde Memorial State Park also has campsites. Primitive camping is allowed throughout much of the national forest.
All services are available in Santa Fe.
This national forest scenic byway is very popular because of its close proximity to Santa Fe. The drive starts at the old plaza in the center of town and climbs high into the lush forests of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Although Santa Fe has only about 50,000 residents, its fame stretches far and wide. A number of books have been written solely on the city. This brief description will serve only as an introduction.