Founded in the 14th century, Nambé means "People of the Round Earth" in Tewa, their native language.

Built between 1811–16, this tiny church is visited by pilgrims from all over the United States and old Mexico, especially on Good Friday of Easter week, when crowds swell to the thousands.

This Hispanic farming community once furnished the set for the movie version of the John Nichols novel The Milagro Beanfield War.

Truchas was established by a royal land grant in 1754 to create a buffer against nomadic Apache and Comanche bands who often raided both Spanish villages and Native American pueblos.

Its settlers hand-dug miles of acequias (irrigation ditches) to bring water from the trout-filled river that gave the town its name.

[citation needed] Although today's residents still work their farms, many commute to jobs in Santa Fe or Los Alamos.

A few still make their living as traditional craftspeople alongside the many European-American artists and galleries that have been drawn to Truchas's mountain views.

[6] Despite the heavy toll taken by a smallpox epidemic and raids by Plains Indians, the village of Las Trampas survived and the settlers managed to build the stately San José de Gracia Church, completed in 1776.

Smaller roads lead off to El Valle or 'the valley' and Ojito 'little spring', both settled by colonists from Las Trampas.

Chamisal is probably named for the "chamisa" shrub (Chrysothamnus, or rabbitbrush) which turns golden in late summer.

Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate called these people "pikuria"—those who paint.

[8] Before the Spanish came, Picurís was one of the largest and most powerful of the pueblos, located at the confluence of two rivers and on a major pass that leads through the mountains to the Great Plains in the east.

This strategic location made it a key site for trade with the Apaches, but once the Comanches arrived and the Spanish brought horses, the pueblo became vulnerable to attack.

When the 200-year-old San Lorenzo de Picurís church collapsed in 1989 due to water damage, pueblo members rebuilt it by hand.

The drive to Sipapu through the Carson National Forest is very scenic, and there are numerous trails and fishing spots on the Rio Pueblo.

The High Road turns northwest along SR 518 and passes through more valleys and vistas of the Carson National Forest.