If you feel like taking a break from dune climbing, sandboarding, and sand sledding, here are some interesting spots at which to spend time exploring, learning, and just having fun.
Zapata Falls
This little hidden gem of a 25-foot (7.6 m) waterfall is a cool oasis in contrast to the dry dune sand. According to Colorado.com, even the parking lot is worth the 12-mile (19 km) drive over paved and gravel roads to get there just for the birds’-eye views of the San Luis Valley, dunes, and Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The almost-one-mile (1.62 km) out-and-back trail might get you a little wet as you (carefully) negotiate slippery rocks in the creek leading to the waterfall. Wear shoes you won’t mind getting soaked and have a change of dry socks and shoes available upon returning to your vehicle.
If you visit during the winter, attach traction devices like Yaktrax or Kahtoola microspikes to your boots before heading onto what will be an icy and possibly snow-covered trail. The falls itself will likely be frozen solid.
There’s a campground open year-round at the waterfall trailhead with 23 single campsites (11 tent only; 12 RV only), including 3 ADA accessible sites and 1 group site (limited to 15 people, 5 tents, and 4 vehicles plus one trailer), as well as a camp host site. Tent sites are limited to 6 people, 2 tents, and 2 vehicles plus trailer. RV sites are limited to 1 RV/trailer per site. RV/trailer+vehicle maximum length is 50 ft (15 m). There are no hookups or potable water. Each site has a picnic table, tent pad, fire ring, and food storage locker. Pit toilets only. Reservations are required through recreation.gov. Individual sites are $11 per night and the group site is $20 per night.
Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center
From 1852 – 1883, soldiers patrolled the valley and dunefield while protecting both settlers and tribes. Built at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo Range upon the side of Blanca Peak in 1852, Fort Massachusetts was ultimately moved to the valley floor in 1858 and renamed Fort Garland. Soldiers from Fort Garland fought in the Battle of Glorietta Pass during the Civil War in 1862. From 1866 to 1867, Kit Carson lived with his family at Fort Garland as commander. During his tenure there, Carson - with the help of his wife, Josefa Jaramillo - forged relationships with the Hispanic communities as well as with the Ute tribes. From 1876 – 1879, the Buffalo Soldiers patrolled the Great Sand Dunes region, protecting settlers and tribes while battling discrimination and poor treatment.
Buffalo Soldiers exhibit at the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center / Rebecca Latson
Today, the community of Fort Garland - 30 miles (48 km) southeast from Great Sand Dunes visitor center and 25 miles (40 km) east of Alamosa - is home to the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center, where original buildings, artifacts, exhibits, and living history events tell the story of this fort and its inhabitants.
The fee to wander the buildings and view the exhibits is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for children and museum members. Memorial Day to Labor Day is free for active military and their family. Parking is free both at the museum and Pike’s Stockade. All buildings are wheelchair accessible, however outdoor pathways are dirt and can be muddy, icy, or snow-covered, depending upon the season. The address is 29477 CO-159, Fort Garland CO 81133. For more information, call (719) 379-3512.
UFO Watchtower
Judy Messoline lives on a ranch surrounded by vast valley and an even vaster night sky, perfect for viewing UFOs and other starry phenomena. What started out as a joke ended up a popular tourist attraction for those willing to drive 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Mosca on Colorado Highway 17, on the west side of CO-17, or about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Hooper and CO-112. Look for the billboards. Eventually, you’ll see a 10 ft-high (3 m) metal platform (the observation tower) built over a domed building serving as gift shop. There’s even a campground for the really serious UFO watchers (and anybody who can’t find a campsite closer to the national park). There’s a healing garden next to the watchtower where you can leave a personal item and ask for something in return (no taking any of the other items already there) of the beings who are said to watch over the garden (think wishing well, but dry). The domed gift shop also houses a series of binders filled with stories of strange and unusual sightings seen in the area where the watchtower now stands. Who knows? Perhaps a visit to the UFO Watchtower may make a believer of you if you aren’t already. Admission to the watchtower is $5, overnight camping is $15 per night.
National Wildlife Refuges
Great Sand Dunes is near three national wildlife refuges which provide strategic locations for migratory birds, including sandhill cranes, mallards, avocets, and a host of other wetland-loving fowl.
Baca National Wildlife Refuge, Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge are all managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Alamosa and Monte Vista Refuges are located at the south-central end of the Valley and Baca Refuge is located at the north end.
