If you're going to be on vacation or visiting the Southwest Region of Colorado from May through October, make the West Chama ATV trail one of your destinations. This trail is small by most ATV trail standards, however it is a great ride. This will one of the most challenging 8-miles you'll encounter and is not for new or inexperienced ATVers. This ATV trail is part of the Rio Grande National Forest and is managed by the National Forest Service and the Conejos Peak Ranger District. This is designated as a multi-use trail, however because of its difficulty rating, use of this ATV trail by other ATVers, hikers, horseback riders or motorcyclists is very light.
As a bonus for the difficulty of the ride, this is a very scenic ATV trail as the Chama Basin is one of the most scenic areas on the Conejos Peak Ranger District. Most of the valleys in the Conejos Plateau Area are steep and narrow due to being formed by glaciers, the Chama River Valley is wide and spacious and ideal for taking on when your ride your ATV. There are steep cliffs of that consist mostly of colorful volcanic and sedimentary rock that surrounds the valley You will enjoy cruising around these embankments on your ATV. Erosion has intricately dissected these cliffs, leaving various shaped outcrops of rock. The fall is an especially good time to visit Chama Basin, when the slopes of aspen are in full splendor with brilliant hues of red, yellow, and orange.
On various areas of the ATV trail you will see waterfalls that cascade over the cliffs from the plateau above, if you are in need of water or a camp site. Both are abundant along the ATV trail. If this is your first outdoor excursion, definitely don't trust the drinking water and treat it before you drink it, otherwise you might find Montezuma's Revenge doesn't just occur within the bounds of Mexico. Be aware that in the spring, access to these camp sites may be difficult when the river is running high in the Spring. Always get a current map and plan your rides, certain trails may be re-routed without warning due to flooding, erosion and other natural occurrences.
