Chama River Canyon — US-84 / NM-17

The Chama area anchors two complementary motorcycle roads in northwestern New Mexico. US-84 north from Abiquiú follows the Chama River through Georgia O'Keeffe's painted-cliff country — the red and ochre canyon walls inspired decades of her work — past Ghost Ranch and up to the Old West town of Chama (7,800 feet) at the Colorado border. From Chama, NM-17 (which becomes Colorado State Highway 17 at the state line) climbs northeast over Cumbres Pass (10,022 feet) through the same high-mountain meadows that the narrow-gauge Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad traverses on 64 miles of track between Chama and Antonito, Colorado. The pairing of US-84's canyon drama with NM-17's alpine pass makes Chama a natural overnight base for a two-day northern New Mexico loop.