Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Antonito
POP 785 / ELEV 7890FT
Pickup trucks with fishing tackle in the back rumble through the dusty, run-down little
burg of Antonito. It's sadly fitting that the only two real attractions here are means of get-
ting somewhere else: there's the northern terminus of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Rail-
road (C&TS), a narrow-gauge railway that goes over the mountains to Chama, New Mex-
ico; and scenic Hwy 17, which follows the Conejos River into the Rio Grande National
Forest.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Depot is a mile south of Antonito at the junc-
tion of Hwy 285 (Main St) and Hwy 17. The
Antonito Visitors Center
(
800-835-1098;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri Jun-Aug)
is opposite the railroad depot and
www.conejosvacation.com
;
200 Main St;
only open in summer.
Visitors can take a short detour to the north along the river, passing the scrawny county
seat at Conejos and Colorado's oldest church, the
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
, before rejoin-
ing Hwy 17. Another example of early Spanish architecture is the adobe
San Pedro y San Ra-
fael Church
at Paisaje. This handsome building, topped by an octagonal wooden bell tower,
can also be reached by Hwy 17; turn right on Conejos County Rd 1075, 3 miles west of
Antonito.
With lodging and campsites available along the beautiful Conejos River to the west on
Hwy 17 and no shortage of motels in Alamosa to the north, there's little reason to stay
here. Likewise, eating options are scarce: you're best off stocking up on supplies in Alam-
osa.
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Conejos River & the South San Juans
If you truly want to get away from it all, the South San Juans are certainly a good option.
Hwy 17 follows the Conejos River west out of Antonito and into the San Juan wilderness,
providing a scenic detour over the Cumbres Pass (10,022ft) on the road to Chama and
Santa Fe in New Mexico. Superb fishing, camping and hiking are the main attractions
here. The volcanic character of the San Juan Range from this angle is vivid, with ragged
rock outcrops that rise before drivers who make it over Cumbres Pass.
