New Mexico State Road 161

State Road 161 marker
State Road 161
Map
NM 161 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NMDOT
Length31.902 mi[1] (51.341 km)
Major junctions
CW end NM 518 near La Cueva
Major intersections I-25 / US 85 near Watrous
NM 97 in Watrous
CCW endU.S. National Park Service Fort Union National Monument
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountiesMora
Highway system
  • New Mexico State Highway System
US 160 NM 162

State Road 161 (NM 161) is a 31.902-mile-long (51.341 km) state highway in northeastern New Mexico. NM 161 begins in the west at its junction with NM 518 several miles south of the unincorporated community of La Cueva. The road travels southeast through remote, sparsely populated land before reaching a junction with Interstate 25 (I-25) south of Watrous. From there, the road turns northeast and briefly parallels I-25 before cutting back to the northwest, where it intersects I-25 again, then continues north for roughly seven miles before terminating at Fort Union National Monument. Shortly before reaching Fort Union, NM 161 crosses the former path of the Santa Fe Trail which is still visible as a broad, shallow ditch or low spot in the terrain.

  1. ^ "Posted Route–Legal Description" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. March 16, 2010. p. 38. Retrieved December 26, 2013.