ANTONITO — The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad’s 2024 season opens Memorial Day weekend with departures on Saturday, May 25.

Travel back to the Old West on one of the most authentic rail trips available. Pulled by historic steam locomotive, you will ride in all original Denver and Rio Grande 19th century equipment.

Regular daily passenger service is May 25-Oct. 19, and will run six days a week, Tuesday-Sunday. Daily passenger service includes All Aboard trips that run the full line between Antonito, and Chama, N.M., and Half Limited trips, which travel from either Antonito or Chama to Osier Station and then return to the point of origin.

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad is a National Historic Landmark. At 64-miles in length, it is the longest, the highest and most authentic steam railroad in North America, traveling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rocky Mountain West.

Owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the train crosses state borders 11 times, zigzagging along canyon walls, burrowing through two tunnels, and steaming over 137-foot Cascade Trestle. All trains steam along through deep forests of aspens and evergreens, across high plains filled with wildflowers, and through a rocky gorge of remarkable geologic formations. Deer, antelope, elk, fox, eagles and even bear are frequently spotted on this family friendly, off-the grid adventure.

For more information, visit https://cumbrestoltec.com.

DEPARTING ANTONITO

The excitement begins the moment the train leaves the station in Antonito. Beyond the vast, open San Luis Valley, the imposing peaks of the Rocky Mountains seem to stretch forever. The train quickly covers the flat ground and reaches a series of hills. It crosses Ferguson’s Trestle, named for a man who was hung there, then climbs to a lava mesa, a remnant of the mountains’ volcanic past. From here, the route winds around wide curves, going up into the mountains.

Eleven State Border Crossings

White-barked, slender aspen trees, which turn yellow-gold in fall, form a light, whispery forest. We’ll pass Sublette, N.M., an abandoned railroad town that still provides water for the steam locomotives. Shortly after, the train makes another crossing between Colorado and New Mexico state lines. Can you count all 11?

Rocky and Dramatic

One of the most spectacular parts of the trip starts as the train inches its way along the rim of Toltec Gorge. We’ll head through Mud Tunnel, which is supported by wood beams. Around Phantom Curve, named for a spire of rock that casts a ghostly shadow, then through Rock Tunnel is a narrow ledge where the dizzying view is straight down to the rushing Rio de los Pinos. The train roughly follows this river along much of its route.

Reaching New Heights

We’ll stop for lunch at the old townsite of Osier. Past Osier, the train first crosses 137-foot-tall Cascade Creek Trestle, the highest on the line. Trees are sparse here and the open mountain scenery is magnificent. Around Tanglefoot Curve, a loop so tight that the train seems almost folded in half, the locomotive steams toward Cumbres Pass. At 10,015 feet elevation, it is the highest pass reached by rail in the United States. There are tall conifers and meadows that bloom with wildflowers in spring and summer. At the summit is an old section house, one of many of the railroad’s historic buildings.

Descending Into the Chama Valley

As the steep descent begins, sweeping views of the Chama Valley unfold. The lower elevations are dominated by aspen trees and grassy hills. Just past the area that was once the historic Lobato sheep ranch is the Lobato Trestle. This trestle spans Wolf Creek. Chama, N.M., the end of the rail, is just ahead.