INTERPRETIVE ZONE 4 traverses arid mountain foothills and surprisingly lush lowland valleys; this is eerily-scenic wild-west ranching country straight out of some old cowboy movie.

The primary roads in this Zone are state-maintained highways with two 12-foot-wide paved driving lanes and intermittent shoulders. These roads are in good repair, and safety conditions are good for the posted speed limits. Small sections of Highway 52 between Winston and Elephant Butte are winding with some very tight curves. Much of this Zone runs through open range cattle country; note that cattle have the legal right-of-way. The roads in this Zone are snow-plowed as needed except at nights and on weekends. During rare times of severe weather they may be closed, and stay closed until cleared.

This Zone covers terrain from the eastern boundary of the Gila National Forest to the northern part of Interpretive Zone 1. The community of Winston and its nearby neighbor, the tucked-away mining town of Chloride, are along the route. Further east the Byway goes through the old stage-stop town of Cuchillo, and offers a side trip to the timeless communities of Monticello and Placita.

As the Byway descends from the mountains toward the town of Winston, the terrain and vegetation changes to rolling hills and desert scrub brush; early New Mexico history depended on this area for grazing cattle and sheep. Ranching and supporting the mining population played an important role in the settlement patterns of this area.

It's a short side trip from Winston to the once-bustling mining town of Chloride - named for the area's silver chloride ore - where you can see the "hanging tree" still growing in the middle of main street.

In the farming village of Cuchillo, the late-1800s stagecoach stop still stands, housing a general store and small museum. If you like pecans, you'll like visiting Cuchillo. They even have an annual Pecan Festival the fourth weekend of every February.

Next stop on the E-Tour:
the town of Winston...