Routes North from Santa Rosa NM

You can also go up to I-25 via NM 3 past Villanueva state park, then over to 84 at Santa Fe. 84 to Pagosa is far more scenic than 550 unless you prefer dry sage scenery. 550 has some good sights and is a 4 lane road, which makes it the better choice for speed. 84 is through Georga O'keefe country and has better mountain views, goes by several good state/federal parks (abiquiu, heron, and el vado lakes) but does not have any significant grades (one short steep pull right before Abiquiu Dam turn off and a couple of long gradual pulls after that to get up to the altitude of Pagosa Springs.