New Mexico State Road 161
# New Mexico State Road 161

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.

## Major intersections

The entire route is in Mora County.

| Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Buena Vista | 0.000 | 0.000 | NM 518 / Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway – Las Vegas, Mora | Clockwise terminus |
| ​ | 21.758 | 35.016 | I-25 (US 85) – Raton, Las Vegas | I-25 exit 364 |
| Watrous | 22.758 | 36.625 | NM 97 east – Valmora | Western terminus of NM 97 |
| ​ | 23.717 | 38.169 | I-25 (US 85) – Raton, Las Vegas | I-25 exit 366 |
| ​ | 23.8 | 38.3 | Frontage Road / Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway | State-maintained; former US 85 |
| ​ | 31.902 | 51.341 | Fort Union National Monument | Counterclockwise terminus |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |||||
