This is the newest Scenic Trip to be published by the bureau and follows the format of the 2003 Albuquerque Scenic Trip (number 18), which was the first to be published in the newly redesigned series. In addition to two introductory chapters (on Volcanoes of Northeastern New Mexico and The Geologic History of Northeastern New Mexico), the book contains four detailed road logs from Raton to Clayton. Like all of the books in this series, the book includes information on the rich cultural heritage of the region, including the Folsom site, one of the most significant Paleo-Indian sites in North America, and the Santa Fe Trail. Richly illustrated with color photos and illustrations as well as historic black-and-white photos, the book provides a look at one of the least visited parts of New Mexico, giving the reader a new appreciation for this corner of the state.

In the course of the hundreds of Rio Chama rafting trips that we've logged during the last 30 years, none of us has ever had a bad trip. Such is the magic of the Rio Chama. No matter the weather, the water level, the season, the crowded Big Eddy boat ramp on a blistering Sunday afternoon, or even the coffee forgotten at home, the Rio Chama remains "The People's River." Its stunning beauty, plus its exceptional camping, user-friendly whitewater, and mostly predictable flows, combine to create one of the Southwest's premiere, multi-day, river running experiences.The spectacular, towering canyon walls of the Wild & Scenic section through the remote Chama River Canyon Wilderness is New Mexico's own "Grand Canyon." The geology of the Rio Chama is so exceptional that this river is ideally suited for a river guide with a geological theme. And so, following the release of the Rio Grande geologic river guide in 2011, we turned our (part-time) attention to the Rio Chama. Although most Rio Chama recreation is focused on the El Vado to Big Eddy stretch, thedecision was easily made to include the entire boatable section, from the highlands in Colorado to the confluence with the Rio Grande, as each section of the river displays its own visual spectacles and assortment of adventures. Plus, the geology is magnificent and diverse along the entire length of the river.

James and Dolores Gunnerson's ethnology of the high plains is a companion volume to the 1987 work by Dr. Gunnerson entitled Archaeology of the High Plains. These two documents are part of a joint USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service, USDA project to provide an overview of the archaeology and ethnology in an area encompassing eastern Colorado, western Kansas, northeastern New Mexico, and parts of Texas and Oklahoma.