Sublette

Sublette is a railroad ghost town in northern Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, just south of the Colorado state line. It began as a section station built in 1880 along what would become the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, sitting at milepost 306.1 on that line and positioned northeast of Chama.

When the Denver and Rio Grande abandoned its narrow gauge operations in the late 1960s, the Sublette segment survived as part of the preserved Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which runs between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama. That connection gives visitors a living context for the site — the historic railroad corridor itself remains active as a heritage line, making Sublette more accessible to history-minded travelers than many true ghost towns.

What you'll find on the ground is a remote, sparsely settled landscape near the state line. The setting rewards photography and sightseeing tied to railroad heritage, and the Cumbres & Toltec route is the practical lens through which most visitors experience this stretch of history. Access and conditions are typical of high northern New Mexico, with winter bringing real hazards to the area.