From Desert to Sky:The Cloud-Climbing Rail Trail

Snorts of fire-breathing, smoke-belching steam locomotivesno longer echo in the Sacramento Mountains. For years, anovergrown roadbed and a few weathered trestles provided theonly clues that rugged little trains once pulled loads of logsand passengers between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft on theCloud-Climbing Route.

Today, visionaries and volunteers of the New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association are transforming the right-of-way into aunique pathway to outdoor enjoyment, inspiration andrecreation. Visitors can again discover the magnificentscenery and panoramic views along the Cloud-Climbing RailTrail.

In the late 1800's, railroads provided a major transportationlink throughout the west. Railroads, however, cannot be builtwithout lumber for cross-ties. Casting eager eyes on the vasttimber stands of the Sacramento Mountains, the Eddy brothershired the country’s best mountain railroad engineer to buildthe Alamogordo & Sacramento Mountain Railway.

For 26 miles, the railroad climbed nearly 4,000 feet, windingalong ridges, clinging to ledges and creaking across canyonson sturdy wooden trestles. For a time, scheduled excursiontrains supplemented railroad revenues by carrying passengersto the fledgling community of Cloudcroft. As the trainclimbed the precipitous canyon walls, spectacular viewsunfolded around every bend, treating passengers to vistas ofdesert, mountains and sky.

Within 50 years, a new highway and the upstart internalcombustion engine caused the decline of the railroad. In 1947,the line was torn up and sold as scrap.

The Cloud-Climbing Route lay abandoned but not forgottenfor another half-century. What was a steep and crooked pathfor a railroad is now a wide and easy path for hikers,mountain-bikers and cross-country skiers. In some places, thetrail offers barrier-free access.

Enjoy the trail . . listen closely! Perhaps the sounds echoingin the trees still bear faint traces of a far-off steam whistle.

New Mexico Rails-to-Trails AssociationP O Box 44

Cloudcroft, NM 88317www.nmrailstotrails.org

501 (c) (3) non-profit organization

Salado Canyon Trestle

Bridal Veil Falls

Depot Replica at Trestle Recreation Area

Cloud-Climbing Rail Trail

Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.

Cloud-Climbing

Rail Trail

www.nmrailstotrails.org

Tips For Hikers

N Take plenty of drinking water.N Use sun protection: hats, sunglasses,sun block, and use sturdy footwear.N Be aware of sudden weather changesand nature’s little surprises (rattle snakesand black bears have occasionally usedour trails).N Keep your dogs leashed.N The water in the creeks is not safe todrink.N Check with the Cloudcroft RangerStation for up-to-date forest conditionsand restrictions. 575-682-2551