Rio Grande National Forest · Colorado

Chama River

5.1 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 738 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Trailhead West Fork Rio Chama Trailhead - Trail #740 Drive there

Chama River Trailhead - Trail # 738 the Forest Service's write-up

The Chama River trail is 4.9 miles long. It begins at Forest Road 121 and ends at Orel Cabin. Trail 740 begins approx. 2 miles up trail 738.

This trail follows the Chama River to the confluence of the West and East Forks, a splendid view of the upper Chama Basin will be enjoyed. There are rolling meadows and waterfalls that cascade from the cliffs just above.

Following the East Fork the trail passes several beaver ponds which are good for trout fishing. The terrain is gentle and scenic.

Access may be difficult during spring run-off because the Chama River must be forded a couple of times.

The trail is open for the following uses: Horseback riding, mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Rio Grande National Forest

All 227 trails in Rio Grande National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.