Southern Tier (El Paso - Las Cruces)

[BillBekay]

The Southern Tier between El Paso and Las Cruces follows NM-28. That seems like a busy road to me and there are no shoulders. Isn't it better to take quieter parallel roads?

[Pat Lamb]

Note that part of the road is parallel to I-10.  It's usually the case that when an interstate is built parallel to another road, the interstate gets the lion's share of the traffic.  NM-28, though I haven't ridden or driven it, likely has local traffic only.  Just avoid rush hours, including the end of school.

[Westinghouse]

It is a good route to take.  I have bicycled El Paso to Las Cruces quite a few times.

[pschuler47]

I rode Las Cruces to El Paso in October 2024. NM 28 was not at all problematic. One rides through various types of irrigated agriculture (cotton, pecan, alfalfa).

Close to El Paso there is a trail that runs alongside the Rio Grande. I rode the stretch of this trail that runs between the La Union-Vinton Rd (north) to Borderland (south).