| Eighty-five miles northwest of Taos on US-64 – which crosses the dramatic Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – beyond Abiquiu and the red rocks around Ghost Ranch, tiny CHAMA is the base for trips on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad (June to mid-Oct; tel 505/756-2151, www.cumbrestoltec.com), an exhilarating high-mountain ride, following the course of the Los Piños Gorge. Daily excursions run through the High Brazos mountains on the border with Colorado; you can either take a motor coach to Antonito, Colorado, and return by train (depart Chama 8.30am; $60), go by train and return by coach (depart Chama 10am; $60), or take a round-trip for the day by train to a point halfway along (depart 10am; $40). Modern timber lodges like the Elkhorn Lodge (tel 505/756-2105; $50–75) line the river south of town, while the Gandy Dancer is a three-bedroom B&B in a purple-clapboard mansion, near the station at 299 Maple St (tel 505/756-2191 or 1-800/424-6702, www.gandydancerbb.com; $75–100).
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