The Chama River
This fall we returned to the Abiquiu area in northern New Mexico in hopes of enjoying the fall colors of the Chama River Valley. Our timing was perfect. The cottonwoods along the Chama River and throughout the valley were brilliant yellow; and because of our autumn rains, the grasses and desert plants were green and healthy.
Even though we did have had quite a bit of rain this fall, overall, the year has been a dry one. The Abiquiu reservoir was quite low; therefore, not a lot of water had been released into the Chama River. The picture below is the Chama River just below the dam.
Of course the low water level didn’t stop people from fishing. We saw several people fly fishing in this stretch of the river and even further down. The Chama has both stocked Rainbow trout and native Brown trout. The river is designated as “Special Trout Water” with classic New Mexico fishing rules.
Xmas Chile Water (a label with both red and green) – Any legal tackle and two (2) trout bag limit.
Green Chile Water (green label) – Tackle restrictions and two (2) trout bag limit
Red Chile Water – Tackle restrictions but catch and release only.
In our previous trip we rented a house by the river, but on this trip we found an adobe casita on a mesa overlooking Abiquiu Lake (reservoir). The views in all directions were breathtaking. The vista from the north side of the cottage was of the lake and the red cliffs that inspired some of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings. The colors and lighting on the cliffs changed every day and throughout the day due to moving clouds and the shifting sun.
Abiquiu Lake
The Cerro Pedernal provided the view for the south side of the cottage and the clouds assisted in provided lovely sunrises and sunsets.
Just in case the weather turned cold, the owner of the casita left us a nice wood pile a few yards from the back door.
And on day 2, the wood came in handy. Fall and spring weather in New Mexico can change pretty fast. One day we are driving under sunny skies and the next morning (Oct 31) we wake up to snow. It was cold, windy and snowy all day, so we tucked in next to the fire and read a good book.
The location of our casita allowed us to explore new places. These next two pictures were taken at one of the many inlets to the lake. You can’t see them in the pictures but there were several Western Grebes fishing in the inlet waters.
El Farolito Restaurant
There are very few places to eat in the area, but El Rito, about 20 minutes north of Abiquiu, is home to the world famous El Farolito Restaurant. The restaurant is a tiny adobe building just a few feet off the main road through El Rito. It has seven picnic tables and is a cash only business, something that one doesn’t see much of anymore. Its green chile was once named the best green chile by the International Chile Society. To read more about El Farolito, click on the previous link to a review by Gil’s Thrilling (and Filling) Blog.
Pueblo de Abiquiú
Even though there is a lot going on in the Abiquiu area, the village of Abiquiu is a very private place and visitors should respect the privacy of its residents. The village, also known as the Pueblo de Abiquiú, was built on the site of a long abandoned Tewa Indian Village and was formed as part of a land grant in 1754 [History of the Abiquiu Area].
Abiquiu has a lot of religious and artistic history. When first entering Abiquiu you can take a guided tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio, but you need to get your tickets and transportation at the Abiquiu Inn, outside of the village. Just around the curve from O’Keeffe’s house is the Penitente Morada, once “a sacred meeting site for the Penitente Brotherhood. Its members (Catholics of Spanish descent) dedicated themselves to community service and memorializing the spirit of the penance and the Passion of Christ.” The morada is not open to the public but, just standing outside the building and taking in the landscape, one can easily understand why this location was chosen as a religious site.
Back to the river…
Flowing into Abiquiu Lake are several tributaries carrying water from the higher elevations into the lake. Some of these tributaries have roads that one can travel, and without a doubt, each of these roads provide more sightseeing opportunities. The following pictures were taken along Cañones Creek.
If you look closely at the picture below can see a beaver dam (left-center). The dam has created a nice little lake of its own while still allowing water to flow on toward Abiquiu Lake.
Parting Shot –
An old, old cottonwood tree displaying its autumn regalia.
I hope you enjoyed the beauty of the Chama River Valley in autumn. To see more of this part of northern New Mexico, click on over to The Beauty Surrounding Abiquiu, New Mexico.
I’ve almost missed these beautiful photographs and breathtaking landscapes! I hope the famous green chile was as good as you’d expected! (But I doubt it would be half as good as yours!!!).
Thanks Sissi! Honestly, the green chile was great, but the sauce was too thin for my tastes. It was like pouring chile stew on your enchiladas. I would rather just have a pile of chile. 🙂
I just love the photos! What a spectacular area! The colours of the cottonwoods in the Fall are so vivid. You’re lucky to live near somewhere like this!
Thanks so much Lisa! I do consider myself very lucky. 🙂
So pretty — love the pictures. Not a part of the world I really know, but one I SHOULD get to know. 🙂 Thanks.
Thanks John! Yes, it is a part of the country everyone needs to see. It’s called The Land of Enchantment for a reason. 🙂
I love it when you take us your trips like this. The photos are all amazing, wow the view from the cottage. And the snow there! It is kind of surreal for me to see this is fall foliage when I live in the Northeast with maple trees. It’s very different.
Thank you so much Evelyne! I remember being out east in the fall one year and the maples were gorgeous, and yes, quite different that cottonwoods. Fall is just a beautiful time of the year.
New Mexico is such a delight during the change of the seasons. The lush photos have craving a return visit.
Thanks Deb! It is a beautiful state. Hope you get to visit again. There are so many little jewels here to enjoy.
Stunning photos of a beautiful area. Thanks
Thanks Carole!
What stunning vistas!! New Mexico is incredibly beautiful in the fall…thanks for sharing with us all!
You are most welcome! Hope you have a wonderful holiday Liz!
The images around the Chama river are so beautiful and peaceful; such a pretty color palette. I’m not sure I really knew about the snow in New Mexico (it always comes as a surprise) – I’m jealous ;o love that snowy capture and the thought of cozying up by the fire. They sure work hard beavers, efficient too; we would see their heads poking above water as they swam near our cottage dock right around sundown; wreaked havoc on the trees bordering the lake but never bothered us when we were swimming. Thank you for all the memories MJ. Beautiful post.
You are most welcome Kelly! Beavers are fun to watch, but yes, they do wreak havoc on the trees. It’s interesting that many people have mentioned that they don’t relate New Mexico to snow. Well, we don’t get as much as we used to and not near as much as we need, but our mountains and northern towns still get it in a good year. It’s beautiful and back when I could handle the cold, I loved walking on a snowy day. It was so peaceful, as I’m sure you can relate.
Thank you for a lovely tour of that part of New Mexico. We enjoyed camping at Cochiti Lake a couple and hiking Kasha-Katuwee Tent Rocks. During one of those visits we intended to camp at Abiquiu Lake but the weather had us heading south before we could explore that area. New Mexico is a beautiful state with so many hidden gems, and of course, delicious food.
Thank you for stopping by Ingrid! So glad to hear from one who has explored some of our beautiful state. Cochiti and the Tent Rocks are great places to explore. My husband and I used to kayak into the canyon area just north out of Cochiti up the Rio Grande. It was beautiful! Hopefully, you can make it back to the Abiquiu area. The fall is really a gorgeous time to go. The spring can be pretty windy and winter/spring, pretty cold. 🙂
What a beautiful scenery! MJ congratulations you have won a copy of Suzanne’s novel, please send me your address to mail you the book!
Thanks Katerina! Oh Yay! I’ll send you my address now.
Such a great tour you took us on today. Your wonderful photos of the cottonwoods and landscape reminded me of a fall trip I once took into the Cruces Basin Wilderness Area. I’ll never forget the vivid yellow colors. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Ron! So you’ve been to the Cruces Basin? It’s pretty up there. It’s small but high enough for aspen which are always gorgeous in the fall.
Yep, been there but I was a lot younger then. I don’t think I could master that trip again.
Well at least you got out here a one time in your life. That’s how I feel about a lot of places. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
How beautiful! And how little I know about this part of the world, it’s a shame. I would have never related New Mexico with snow.
Thanks Adina! A lot people don’t relate snow with New Mexico, but in a good year, we can get a few feet. There are several ski slopes in the northern part of the state and even a couple down south. Our mountains are pretty tall in comparison.
What a charming and beautiful valley! Thanks for sharing, MJ.
Thanks Angie!
Beautiful photos. The colors must have been breathtaking. I’m so glad you had such a good time. BTW: I love your new portrait!!!
Thanks Darlin! The colors were breathtaking. It’s hard to imagine how “yellow”, “yellow” can actually be. 🙂 I’m glad you like my new portrait! Bobby took it one morning ‘just because’. 🙂 Hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Absolutely Beautiful!! You really captured the colorful landscape of the Chama River Valley. Looks so different from when we visited Abiquiu over the summer. We did go north to Taos in late October and saw some fantastic fall colors.
Thanks Jan! That area is one of those places that is different every time we visit. Bet your trip to Taos was beautiful!