Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

October 8-15, 2026

McCauley (Barely Luke) Warm Springs

But wait, there's more! After our last ride on the C&TSR, we were disappointed that we hadn't allowed more time to explore the many beautiful trails and camping areas along the way. So this year we REALLY took our time!

We camped the next night at Jemez Falls Campground, a very nice National Forest campground with widely-spaced sites, a huge network of trails, and even a "quiet area" on Loop Four, where no generators are allowed.

small waterfall near McCauley Warm Springs

For the third time, we tried to soak in the famous McCauley "Hot" Springs, but we just can't catch a break!

On previous treks in 2008 and 2019, the pools were either empty or infested with carnivorous largespring gambusia.

On this third and final attempt, we hiked down a very badly eroded trail to find the large pool occupied by an extended family with a half dozen screaming kids. The water was not even bathwater warm, even in the upper pool. And the "piranhas" still nibble on your toes!

band of sunlight lighting up a pine tree

But back in camp, Debra had built a lovely campfire for us to share on our final night together.

Lamy and Madrid

Wandering around the old train station in Lamy. The main line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bypassed the city of Santa Fe to reduce construction costs and instead built an 18-mile branch line from Lamy. One day we hope to ride the Santa Fe Rail Trail from Santa Fe to Lamy and back.

I will always have soft spot for Madrid, since it was my introduction to Southwest art and architecture on my first trip to the New Mexico in 1998. We stopped for ice cream at the row of shops where I bought a well-loved Guatemalan jacket 28 years ago. The lovely, shady courtyard full of quirky metal sculptures is still there!

Mountainair

The Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair is a mandatory stop! The ceiling and light fixtures were all carved and painted by Clem "Pop" Shaffer, who built the hotel in 1923. Shaffer also built the whimsical cement fence adjacent to the hotel, which is studded with quirky stone animals.

door to the waiting room at the Lamy station

Datil

We spent the last night of the trip at Datil Wells, our absolute favorite campground. On a sunset stroll we got a bit turned around and ended up taking a much longer hike than planned. In Québec we called this time of day "entre chien et loup", because the fading light makes it hard to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf. Or between a burnt stump and a bear!

Left: Fetid goosefoot. Oddly beautiful. Smells like mint from a distance, and like dirty socks close up. Right: Rocky Mountain Zinnia.

False vervain and the stump bear.

"My mom and dad took a ride on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad and all I got was this stupid hat!"