Attractions (in category: Historic Railroads)

Listed on the State Register of Historic Properties, the 1880 D&RG Antonito Depot is significant for the native stone masonry that distinguishes it. It also played a key role in the establishment of the town by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. For over sixty years, the depot was the junction point for the "Chili Line" to Santa Fe, New Mexico and the railroad's San Juan Extension connecting Alamosa to Durango and Silverton. As the western-most station accommodating both narrow and standard gauge trains on the San Juan Extension, the depot was an important terminal for freight, passenger, and package services.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1881 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad South Fork Water Tank is one of the few surviving tanks built in the late 1800s by the D&RG railroad and the last example of its type on the 22.8-mile Creede Branch. Tanks of identical design, materials, and construction were built throughout the D&RG system in the last two decades of the 19th century. The tank provided water for countless steam locomotives from its construction in 1881 until the end of steam locomotive operations in 1956.

Ride the rails for a trip back in time on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, Colorado's newest train offering steam engine rides and five newly remodeled 1950s-era dome cars over legendary La Veta Pass. Travel comfortably in restored passenger cars through the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo Mountains and get a taste of the local culture at stops in historic small towns. Trips with connections to Great Sand Dunes National Park or the historic narrow-gauge Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in Antonito offer an additional rare treat to your San Luis Valley rail experience.

America's longest and highest narrow gauge railroad will sweep you off your feet on a trip you'll not soon forget through a remote corner of the San Luis Valley and southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico. The spectacular views and the sights, sounds, and smells of the 1880s coal-powered steam engine add to the excitement of the narrow track winding through the landscape. Experience living history at its best as the docents interpret the history and geology of the area while you ride. Several trip options are available depending on your time and budget.

Step back in history and view a unique locomotive from Alamosa's boom days as a railroad town. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Alamosa's narrow-gauge locomotive 169 was built in April 1883 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After decades of service in the San Luis Valley, the engine was retired in 1938 and later refurbished for display at the 1939 New York World's Fair. A restored coal car and B-1 Business Car (1881) accompany the 169 in an outdoor pavilion in Cole Park near the Rio Grande bridge.