The Lake Valley Back Country Byway follows NM-152 and NM-27 for 48 miles through a mountainous region of New Mexico. It passes several mountain ranges, including the Caballo Mountains, Black Range, Cooke’s Range, and the Uvas Mountains.

Lake Valley, a ghost town, provides the byway's namesake. Take a self-guided walking tour of the town, beginning at the schoolhouse museum. When you're done, head east on the byway toward Nutt. You'll drive alongside a spur line of the old Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, built over 100 years ago. As you reach the end of the byway, notice the marks remaining in the earth from thriving railroad days gone by.