Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic BywayOne of eight Scenic Byways in NM. The route is a "lariat" shape, ranging NW from San Ysidro along NM 550 to Cuba and then W along NM 126, and NE from San Ysidro along NM 4. The Trail continues W to Los Alamos and Santa Fe. The scenic route passes Jemez Pueblo as it climbs through the Jemez Valley (Canon de San Diego). After climbing through the narrow valley, the route turns east to the Valles Caldera, Los Alamos, Bandelier National Monument, and eventually Santa Fe. The Jemez Valley portion of the Trail is nicknamed "The Thunderbird Trail" from the seeming form of a large bird with outstretched wings on the side of Redondo Peak. The Jemez Mountain Trail gives a cross-section of the transition into northern New Mexico, rising from the Rio Grande basin through the canyons, and summiting out in the tall ponderosa forests.