Route 66 in New Mexico

Directions

These pictures were taken along a stretch of I-40 and Historic Route 66 that spanned approximately 50 miles. I started taking these shots about 50 miles out from Albuquerque all the way to approximately 100 miles out. If you leave Albuquerque on I-40, much of Route 66 runs parallel with it, and there are many opportunities to get off I-40 and travel Route 66. You will go through small towns and much of the remnants of the heyday of the old highway can still be seen. Lots of places to stop and lots of places to take all genres of photographs.

Photo Spot Details

These pictures were taken between 1:00 pm and 7:30 pm in July. New Mexico is given to sudden storms, high winds, and the hot sun. A heavy duty tripod is a must if you are taking landscapes. Unseasonably large volumes of rain this year have made the desert fairly green, something that is very uncommon for this time of the year. The impact of the rain has made the New Mexico landscape less harsh, although that also provides great opportunity for high contrast and excellent compositions.

There are lots of places to eat and get water, but it doesn’t hurt to pack some food and water if you start leaving I-40 and Route 66 to track down a landscape opportunity as I frequently do. While the highways are heavily traveled, you can be in the middle of nowhere very quickly.

Spend a day or two on Route 66 and you will have the entire gamut of sun and shadows to play with. The weather can change rapidly and can make for a great shot or two unless you are in the middle of it. The landscape is very diverse from flat lands, hills, mesas, ridges, pinnacles, and mountains. The sky’s the limit on Route 66.