Chama to Osier or Antonito to Osier, more scenic?

Does anyone know which train ride is more scenic? We would like to take a one day trip on the train, but I%26#39;m wondering if we should drive to Chama, or to Antonito. Any ideas?

Chama to Osier or Antonito to Osier, more scenic?

I have the exact same question. Any answers out there?

Chama to Osier or Antonito to Osier, more scenic?

I won%26#39;t be of too much help.. but I think the town of Chama is much more scenic and is right in the mountains.

Antonito is in a valley, more flat, less trees and possibly longer to get to the mountains on the train.

If you take the full day trip, you will be traveling on the same track between both towns and taking a bus back.

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It does not matter which location you drive to as a bus will take you back to your starting point. However, as a many time rider on the RR, I would recommend first time riders start from Antonito. The reason is that you begin in the high desert with sage and sand and climb into Pondersoa pine and then fir and aspen. You see the same scenery going the other way, but hour trip through the desert is anti-climatic after the high country peaks.

[i]Does anyone know which train ride is more scenic? [/i]

I should add that if you are taking the train only to the midpoint at Osier and returning the same way, you should do the Chama-Osier trip as you miss the high bridges Antonito-Osier (but you have two tunnels and the track is on the edge of a deep gorge!). The best bet is to do the entire route or schedule a return trip to do the other half!

If it%26#39;s just a question of which ';half,'; roughly speaking, is the most scenic per mile, the answer is Chama to Osier. Higher mountains...gorgeous in the fall especially!

Doesn%26#39;t matter. I do it every year. Most of the time I take the bus to Antonito because that is real early in the morning leaving Chama and is beautiful then in Antonito we take the train back to Chama where we always stay. I%26#39;ve met some of the most wonderful people on both the bus and train and love the food stop 1/2 way at Osier. Boy it is hard to hike at that alitude though....

As was said before, if you are taking the full ride on the train, and returning by motorcoach, the Antonito to Chama train would probably be less anti-climactic starting east to west, as the scenery improves dramatically once in the mountains. The ';full'; ride to Chama, and motorcoach back takes 7 hours, and 25 minutes.

';If'; however, time is a consideration, you can take the Chama train to Osier, and return to Chama via train, in 5 hours, and 55 minutes.

miozanoHouston,

I%26#39;m happy to throw my two cents here as I took the full ride from Antonito to Chama in mid-October this past fall.

Its all gorgeous, and would recommend the full ride starting in either town. The half way trip to Osier and then back to Chama seems too redundant to me.

With the changing scenery and climb up from the flatter plateau near Antonito into the high elevations and all the engineering that was required to build the many switchbacks was really some of the most interesting aspects of the entire trip for me.

We saw several herds of antelope, a couple bald eagles, some coyotes, etc... in the transition zone between the plateau near Antonito and the higher elevations.

Another consideration is your base starting point. We live just under a 1/2 hour northwest of downtown Santa Fe and found the drive from our place to Antonito versus Chama a little shorter, very direct and quite pretty. Not that the drive to Chama from our place isn%26#39;t spectacular also, but in order to be at the depot before 10:00am, we were looking for the most direct route to be sure we got there in time.

A couple of practical tips. Good full coverage sunglasses and/or not wearing contact lenses if you intend to spend some time on the open air observation car is a good idea. The coal fired engine throws a fair amount of soot and particulate into the air and much of it settles towards the rear of the train.

I didn%26#39;t find the actual seats very comfortable and spent nearly all my time out in the flatbed observation car or in the little areas between the regular cars like many others did.

The last thing I%26#39;d add is not to raise your expectations on the quality of the lunch you%26#39;ll be fed in Osier. Think of that stop as more of a photo and leg stretching opportunity than some gourmet dining experience. Not bad, but IMHO, maybe a notch slightly above high school cafeteria quality.

The motorcoach bus ride back to our car in Antonito from Chama took a very beautiful route and was a great way to talk with other folks and relax before the 2 hour drive home.

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