Chama River

The Chama River hike is an out-and-back route of about 10 miles in Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest, within the Conejos Peak Ranger District. The trail rises from a low point of about 8,744 feet to a high of about 9,412 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 660 feet. The Forest Service manages the land. The route is rated hard, and it's a natural-surface trail. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. The most comfortable stretch is late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Chama, New Mexico, run from highs around 65°F in May to 72°F in September, though that station sits about 1,500 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up here run cooler. The Chama Basin Trailhead is the parking for the trip, and the route is open year-round. Dispersed camping lies about 0.4 miles away, and the Archuleta Trail starts just 0.1 mile off. The West Fork Rio Chama is about 2 miles away, and paddlers can head to the Rio Chama, about 3 miles out.