Amtrak - Southwest Chief

Click on green camera icons on the Google Map to see pictures along the route. Please keep in mind that these pictures were taken from a moving train.

The Southwest Chief is an Amtrak route that runs from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angles, California. This page zooms in on the section from Trinidad, Colorado to Williams, Arizona. Trinidad is in southeastern Colorado near the border of New Mexico. As the train leaves Trinidad, it rides over Raton Pass, on the way to Raton, New Mexico. Raton Pass is a well-known landmark of the Santa Fe Trail. The route incorporates elements of two historic travel corridors: the Santa Fe Trail, especially in the Trinidad/Raton area, and Historic Route 66, which it parallels in parts of New Mexico and Arizona. It traverses several significant geological regions including the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Basin and Ranges, and Colorado Plateau. Williams, Arizona is the stop after Flagstaff and it offers connecting train service to the Grand Canyon. The path is laden with significant historical and cultural landmarks.