Ride to Dulce via NM-537

Hi everyone! It's been sometime since I posted anything here. In a previous blog, I wrote about how I wondered if that trip would get it all out of my system. Well, here I am, searching for my rainbow again. Seems I haven't found my niche yet and I'm still wondering if the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the fence.

I got up this morning and didn't have anything on my to-do list for the day and was thinking about doing some yard maintenance when Merrilou suggested I go on a motorcycle ride. I had been wanting to ride NM-537 from US-550 to US-64 ever since Jill blogged about it. I had never been on that particular road before so I mapped out a route to Dulce, NM via Cuba and hit the road.

Route Map on Google Maps

I topped off the Vulcan as I left Albuquerque and took the old highway to Bernalillo, took back streets through town then caught US-550 for Cuba. US-550 is one of those very special roads that some might, at first glance, consider a bit boring and it can be if you're not observant and don't notice the absolutely spectacular landscape that you're traveling through on this route to Cuba.



I pulled into Cuba about two hours after leaving my driveway, found the Shell station and topped off the tank since I still wasn't sure if there was gas in Dulce and I needed to be sure I could make it back to Cuba on one tank...just in case. (Point "B" on the map.)

The Shell in Cuba is part of the "new Cuba" that has sprung up in the last five years or so. The town is really growing and it's attracting a lot of new business. After gassing up, I pulled into a parking spot and stripped out of my gear to go inside. There is a McDonalds on one side and a convenience store on the other. The bathrooms are clean and in good order. I got my usual, a small chocolate milk, and went outside to drink it. I don't like to eat a proper meal when I'm on a day ride but I sure do like a chocolate milk every hundred miles or so! It seems to really satisfy me and give me that necessary "kick" so I can keep going without tiring.

I pulled out of Cuba and continued north on US-550 for about 21 miles to NM-537. This road can sneak up on you if you're not familiar with it but there's a trick to it. You see, there is an Indian Casino at the junction. It's a tent casino called the Apache Nugget. I believe it's run by the Jicarilla Apaches.


A quick right turn and I'm on NM-537 heading north toward US-64 and Dulce. (Point "C" on the map.)


537 is a well maintained paved road that goes through the heart of the Jicarilla Apache reservation. The first half of this road, about 20-25 miles or so, is hot dry desert.



There are several "chickens pecking the ground" through here (oil wells) and there a lot of maintenance trucks with flags and tanker trucks. Must be a mining operation around here somewhere.


Several spots warned of deer.


I soon left the desert and climbed into the higher elevations where the smell of pine forests and fresh air was overwhelming. All along here the rock formations offered some entertainment as I imagined the incredible forces combined with the irresistable onslaught of time that carved out the landscape.


The whole area here is tribal land and well posted. I would assume they're serious.


After a few miles, I spotted a sign for Stone Lake and a paved road off to the right. I figured, "what the hey" and went off in search of it.



I came to a big open area with signs for a celebration of some sort. (Point "D" on the map.) I'm assuming this location is used for an annual Indian Cultural Festival or something. There are a lot of make-shift huts for selling food and crafts plus a couple of big areas for dances and other shows. The general public is welcome but there are signs warning about no picture taking, respecting the land, and, "no motorcycles"! Whoops, good thing there was no one around today!

Stone Lake Information


Stone lake road into Dulce was bad for a few miles then got much better. I was able to keep up a decent speed of 65 or so and still dodge most of the potholes. About half way to Dulce, I hit some new pavement and I no longer had to dodge potholes. All along this road are several small lakes and ponds. Fishing is allowed as long as you have greased the appropriate palms, er, I mean purchased the appropriate licenses.



I approached a site but couldn't tell what it was until I got up closer. It was an airstrip and seemed to be one of those unmanned installations.


Dulce is a bit smaller than Cuba but seems to be more spread out and has a bit more variety. (Point "E" on the map.) They have a decent gas station where I put 1.9 gallons in after riding about 90 miles. Since I entered the town on a back road, I kinda lost my bearings so I asked directions from a small group of bikers. They had just come in on US-64 from Chama. They got me straightened out and I was on my way back.

I took US-64 southwest to NM-537 and headed south for US-550, Cuba and eventually home. The ride back down 537 was quicker then the ride up. Even though I had just been on this road, it still held my interest on the way back. Isn't it funny how the very same road can look so different from the other direction?










I made record time (for me) to 550 and into Cuba. I stopped to top off my tank and get another chocolate milk at the same Shell.


Outside of Cuba, on the way toward San Ysidro, I spotted the first landmark to indicate I was back in familiar territory. Cabezon Peak is recognizable from any angle. It's rather unique, isn't it? There's another name for it but this is a generally G-rated blog so I won't repeat it here.

Merrilou and I have explored the desert around Cabezon Peak extensively. The Rio Puerco River runs close by it and there are several ghost towns out there. It's definitely Jeep territory. You can usually get through fine in any high-clearance vehicle without 4WD but sudden downpours will leave you stuck in that sticky, slimy clay snot that you can find all over New Mexico. Merrilou and I were bebopping down a well maintained dirt road one afternoon when such a downpour caught us. It took no time at all for the back end of the Jeep to attempt to come around and lead the way even in 4WD! We had to slow way down to about 10 mph to keep it in a straight line.

The rest of the ride back to Albuquerque was uneventful as it was through territory I'm intimately familiar with.


As I approached Bernalillo, however, the skies started to look pretty ominous. It looked like it would open up and pelt me with an afternoon thunderstorm like we are so well known for this time of year. But, I was lucky and made it all the way back home without getting wet.

• Total miles: approx. 330
• Total Time: 6 hrs, 15 min (door to door)
• Satisfaction Factor: score of 4 out of a possible 5 (Hey, any ride is a good ride, it's just that some are better than others!)
• Recommendation Factor: Highly recommended!