"Long had in mind the building of a stage road through Raton Pass…What I proposed to do was to go into this winding rock-ribbed mountain pass and hew out a road which barring grades, should be as good as the average turnpike."
— Richens Lacy “Uncle Dick” Wootton, 1864, on the Mountain Route of the Santa Fe Trail
Membership
Anyone interested in the Santa Fe Trail is welcome to join. Membership in the Corazón de los Caminos Chapter begins at just $10 per year for individuals or $15 for families.
To download our membership form, click here.
Chapter members are also strongly encouraged to join the Santa Fe Trail Association.
To download the SFTA membership form, click here.
History of the Corazón de los Caminos Chapter
The Corazón de los Caminos (“Heart of the Trails”) Chapter was founded in 1990 to promote awareness of the Trail and its history, help preserve Trail sites, mark important Trail locations, and preserve the side trails. The chapter encompasses Colfax, Mora, and San Miguel (east of the Pecos River) counties in northeastern New Mexico.
Trail sites along some 300 miles within the chapter’s area include Tecolote, Las Vegas, Loma Parda, Fort Union, Ocaté Crossing, Rayado, Cimarron, Raton Pass, Wagon Mound, Springer, the Rock Crossing of the Canadian River, and Point of Rocks (see, 'Major Project' below).
Remains of the Trail can be seen from Interstate 25 between Wagon Mound and Las Vegas, and along NM 21, US 64, and US 56.
The Corazón de los Caminos chapter meets monthly March through November for field trips, lectures, and special access to wagon swales on private land. You will meet interesting people, get a little exercise, see some beautiful country, and learn a lot about the historic Santa Fe Trail in northeastern New Mexico from antílope to zaguáns.
Location and Directions
The chapter’s northern boundary is the top of Raton Pass at the Colorado state line. The eastern boundary could be Point of Rocks Ranch in Colfax County. The southwestern boundary is east of the Pecos River at San Miguel del Vado.
Points of Interest
A few of the many sites of interest along the Santa Fe Trail within the chapter area.
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Major Project
Members of the Corazón Chapter assisted the Santa Fe Trail New Mexico National Scenic Byway and the National Park Service to mark Santa Fe National Historic Trail Crossings in northeastern New Mexico, with a grant funded by the Federal Highway Administration.
Jim Kowal, Gary Gaines, and Ray
Marchi install the Ocaté Crossing
Sign between Rayado & Fort Union
(Photo by Eileen Kowal.)