Before the advent of automobiles, Raton Pass was the entryway to the rolling prairies, rim rock mesas, and alpine meadows of Colfax County.  Explorers, cattle and sheep drivers, and the railroad all went through Raton Pass.  Located along New Mexico's border with southeastern Colorado, Colfax County is diverse in geography.  Plains and ranch land cover expanses of land near Springer and Miami in the far eastern part of the County.  Further west is the beautiful Cimarron Canyon, opening to a spectacular view of Eagle Nest Lake and the high alpine Moreno Valley.  Wheeler Peak, the highest in the state at 13,161 feet, forms the western boundary of the Moreno Valley.

Visitors come to Colfax County for hunting, fishing, skiing, camping, and hiking.  Along the Colorado border lies Valle Vidal, a unit of the Carson National Forest, offering fishing and recreation and abounding in elk, deer, turkey, and other game.  The National Rifle Association's Whittington Center encompasses 33,000 acres of pinon-juniper wildlife with shooting ranges and developed and primitive camping facilities.  Sugarite Canyon State Park, Cimarron Canyon State Park, and Vermejo Park offer fishing, picnicking, hiking, and camping. Vermejo Park is privately owned by Ted Turner.