Day Trips in Northern New Mexico
Scenic Steam Railway
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is America’s highest and longest narrow gauge rail line. It is the finest and most spectacular example of a steam-era mountain railroad in North America. It is accessible in downtown Chama, about 12 minutes away.
Golf
Pagosa Springs Golf Club is a spectacular course with 27 championship holes. Ponderosa pines line the fairway making the course both beautiful and challenging. The course is in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about 1 hour away.
Skiing
Wolf Creek Ski Resort is a high alpine facility – elevated 10,300 feet at the base of a 11,900-foot summit. The resort is east of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a little over an hour away.
Snowmobiling
Enjoy the scenic San Juan Mountains riding a new Ski-Doo snowmobile on the Timbers property or in the nearby Santa Fe or San Juan National Forests.
River Trips
The Rio Chama is one of America’s finest designated Wild and Scenic Rivers and well suited for both kayak and raft excursions. The San Juan River near Pagosa Springs, Colorado, offers milder adventures by raft, kayak or float tube. The Rio Chama is about 35 minutes away; the San Juan River is about 1 hour away.
Hot Mineral Springs
The Springs Resort is terraced along the banks of the beautiful San Juan River and offers 18 soaking pools. The source of these mineral-rich waters is the famous Great Pagosa Aquifer, the world’s largest and deepest hot mineral spring. The resort is in downtown Pagosa Springs, Colorado, about 1 hour away.
Heron Lake State Park
Heron Lake State Park is a quiet recreational reservoir where boats operate at no-wake speeds only. The park is known for its excellent sailing, windsurfing, fishing, cross-country skiing and hiking. Ice fishing is popular in winter. The park is about 25 minutes away.
El Vado Lake State Park
El Vado Lake State Park offers fishing, boating, water-skiing and winter cross-country skiing as well as a 5.5-mile scenic trail along the Rio Chama that connects with nearby Heron Lake. The park is about 30 minutes away.
Shopping
Indian Market is held every August in Santa Fe. The unique event brings together more than 1,200 Native American artists and crafters from all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The market is in downtown Santa Fe, about 75 minutes away.
Georgia O’Keefe Sites
Georgia O’Keefe was one of the most significant artists of the 20th century, creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.” The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum opened to the public in July 1997, eleven years after her death, and its collection of more than 3,000 works includes 1,149 O’Keeffe paintings, drawings, and sculptures that date from 1901 to 1984. The museum is in downtown Santa Fe, about 90 minutes away.
O’Keefe lived for many years at the Ghost Ranch and the multi-hued cliffs and canyons inspired her art. Now a living museum, the Ghost Ranch makes for a fascinating day exploring for fossils, learning about the early history and pre-history of the Rio Chama Valley and taking in dramatic rocky vistas. The Ghost Ranch Visitor Center is about 30 minutes away.
