Community Forums

jimburford · 03-17-2021, 02:29 PM

When travelling from Tucson on I-10 to Amarillo TX is it best to travel I-25 from I-10 to i-40 in Albuquerque or take 70 to 54 and pick up I-40 in Santa Rosa, NM? Or another route?

PS56 · 03-17-2021, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimburford

When travelling from Tucson on I-10 to Amarillo TX is it best to travel I-25 from I-10 to i-40 in Albuquerque or take 70 to 54 and pick up I-40 in Santa Rosa, NM? Or another route?

Best for what?

vito.a · 03-17-2021, 02:57 PM

We've travelled both routes. If weather is doubtful, we stick to I-25. If weather is good and fuel is full, then you can cut off 10 min by taking Rt 54.
There are some desolate stretches across 54, so you are on your own.

rk911 · 03-17-2021, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimburford

When travelling from Tucson on I-10 to Amarillo TX is it best to travel I-25 from I-10 to i-40 in Albuquerque or take 70 to 54 and pick up I-40 in Santa Rosa, NM? Or another route?

if you're trying to avoid really steep climbs then I-10 east to I-25 north at Las Cruces (see shortcut below) to I-40 will avoid the steepest. you'll still have a climb EB on 40 just east of I-25 but it's very doable.

Shortcut: If you take this route follow I-10 east to SR26/SR11/US180 at Deming. It should be marked HATCH or HATCH CUTOFF. Follow SR26 to and thru hatch to I-25. About 30-35 minutes. This is a time/mileage saver instead of following I-10 all the way to Las Cruces. Very doable in our 40' class A towing our Jeep SUV. Nice and flat.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ha...4d-107.1530744

twogypsies · 03-17-2021, 03:46 PM

678 miles - I-10 to Las Cruces then north to Hwy 70 to Ruidoso, NM to Roswell, NM to Clovis, NM then 60 to Amarillo. 8 mi west of Ruidoso you'll have a downhill of approx. 4 miles at 3-5% to Ruidoso (a pretty town to explore). The uphill before that isn't bad at all.

698 miles - I-10 to Las Cruces; Hwy 70 toward White Sands Nat'l Park (worth a visit) and Alamogordo, NM then 54 to Santa Rosa, NM & I-40.

736 miles - I-10 to Las Cruces (take the Hatch cutoff given above); I-25 to I-40

If you're thinking of Hwy 82 between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft, NM it's a very steep uphill and 16 miles up.

Concord · 03-17-2021, 04:10 PM

There's a song about this...

HR2004 · 03-17-2021, 05:15 PM

Last year we left Tucson and hopped on US 70 north of Las Cruces.. Spent the night in Mescalero Casino parking lot just out of Mescalero. Next stop was in Canyon Tx. Walmart. just south of Amarillo.. 4 lane all the way.. good way to go.

jimburford · 03-18-2021, 11:36 AM

Thanks, I see that short cut and will will plan to take it.

jimburford · 03-18-2021, 11:39 AM

Sorry, I should have been more specific. Best for good roads, less steep climbs, least amount of traffic.

jimburford · 03-18-2021, 11:42 AM

I like that idea. Any steep climbs/descents?

Edd505 · 03-18-2021, 08:47 PM

One is typical interstate pounding cement, the others more scenic and there is a space museum in Alamogordo. Hwy82 is very doable and beautiful through Lincoln National Forest & Cloudcroft, I crossed that many many times in an 18 wheeler before it was closed to big rigs.

DKRITTER · 03-21-2021, 08:36 AM

There are some good choices on this route.

If you take 10 to 25 to 40 it's probably the simplest and easiest but it is by far the longest route.

Taking 70 to 54 in NM is a good route and I think if it were me it's what I would do.

Going through Ruidoso, Roswell and Clovis would be the shortest and probably the most scenic. 70 from Roswell to Clovis isn't the greatest but it is very doable.