A great hot springs/pool in the area. Perfect for kids and the adults who constantly have to get in…read moreand out of the water. This is improved by the fairly lax safety they got going on here. No one cares who is on the slides or how many kids are at the bottom. Diving board? Sure, jump off it while kids are swimming in the deep end. There were lifeguards there if things got truly bad, but the hands-off approach allowed a good amount of appropriate youthful riskiness. And the heat of the water ensures you will all be relaxed and mellow by the end of it all. It's more expensive than a typical city pool, but it's nicely heated by the hot springs.

This is a hot springs public pool that's really great for children and families. Affordable prices,…read morethree slides, two diving boards. It's close to town and easy to get to. You can bring in snacks, but there's also a snack bar available. I only gave three stars because the lifeguard situation is not what it should be. There is at least 60 people in the pool, with all slides and diving boards open.. and there is only one lifeguard out who is sitting in a deck chair only half paying attention to anything. There's so many little kids, that there's lots of parents close by to keep an eye on their kids and those around them.. but the slides are a little dang mess. There are kids jumping in on top of each other because they aren't clearing underneath. This is such a great spot, I wish they would just beef up that aspect and it would be perfect.

Stopped to check out what appeared to be an abandoned park in the middle of nowhere on the way to…read moredunes. I found an abandoned park on the way to the dunes, with exceptionally clean, well stocked restrooms and picnic areas shaded against the worst of the NM sun. The plan when establishing the park: Nice place for locals to spend A Day At The Beach. Reality, the water becomes poisonous to fish, dries up quickly, and the beach is on the edge of a mud hole. Still, possibly worth hiding a tent on overnight...

Beautiful, scenic, peaceful place to relax & recharge!!! Note: This is no longer a Colorado…read moreState Park - "State Park Passes" do not grant admission!! The Park falls under the authority of the Colorado Parks & Wildlife, as a State Wildlife Area. We stayed here 3 nights in Aug. '25 - The Lake was completely dry, but park is still open & provides a nice restful stop for travelers near the Sand Dunes, with nice large campsites and 30/50a Electric!! John - the new camp host is extremely helpful & friendly, and works incredibly hard (all by himself!) to help insure the Park's future by making sure that all guests have the proper State Wildlife Area pass (or CO Hunting/Fishing license) to help support the ongoing capability of providing free electrical campsites to guests. Seniors can obtain an SWA Annual pass for $11.73 online at cpwshop.com (each guest needs a pass!). We can't thank our host John enough for his hard work & dedication to help keep this park open!!

Sneaky cool park. Limited infrastructure that gets job done for access. Enough interpretative…read morecontent to get a sense of area. Really rock formations. Nice low key campsite. A cool place to check out.

One of my Earthwatch colleagues had this place on her "Bucket List". So after a long Friday out in…read morethe San Juan Rift, we stopped at Penitente Canyon for a hike and a few cold beers. Years ago, Penitente Canyon served as a place of worship for Los Hermanos Penitente. The Brothers, Spanish and Indian men of deep faith and commitment, preferred to live secluded in the foothills and canyons of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains to practice their religion freely. In some areas you can see historic/religious painting left behind on the rocks. Penitente Canyon, while quite secluded, has also emerged as one of Colorado's premier rock climbing areas. The area is part of the 7,529 acre Penitente Canyon Special Recreation Management Area of the BLM. Our group had a wonderful time hiking the canyons, clamoring over the "Rock Garden" and watching climbers in various stages of ascent and decent. It's a beautiful area and well worth a trip in this somewhat remote region. Our late afternoon visit was also the perfect beginning of a busy weekend and a great opportunity to just hang out with new friends.

This place is amazing! I always wondered how we have a Gator and Reptile Park in Colorado and…read moreunderstanding that it is because the geothermal well provides 87F water year-round. Upon entering, we were greeted by Matt who welcomed us with the biggest smile and asked us to share our experience that we had in the Crocodile Rescue in Zambia. Matt and the other employees are so passionate about all the rescued animals at the Park. We were greeted by another employee who explained that all the animals have either been confiscated by law enforcement, given up by their owners, or simply found (the giant iguana was found sitting in a tree by a man walking a neighborhood). All the animals have pasts that aren't the best but they get to live the rest of their lives in a sanctuary getting the proper care they deserve. The Park is vast and there are plans to make it even larger. What I thought would take only 30 minutes took well over 2 hours. I am a kid at heart and also love photography so this was best way to spend our early afternoon. I absolutely adore the staff!! They are amazing and are passionate, which shows in their personalities and how they light up talking about all the different animals.

I was really, really taken with this place. It was really cool to see the gators and the snakes and…read moreemu, and just all the critters that have been rescued. I was really glad to see that there's a place like this that supports those critters but also saddened by how many had been pets at one time. It was a great place to support would definitely go back. We all enjoyed our visit. I recommend buying food to feed the gators, cause I was really fun.

As a pair of traveling campers when all else failed Base Camp pulled through! We did not have an…read moreRV and only had tents, but the timing could not have worked out better. They had just finished a 10x10 tent pavilion and we were first to try it out and it is safe to say I am super excited to come back at my next trip to the sand dunes to see how everything has progressed. The hosts are super accommodating and really tried their best to make sure we were taken care of. 10/10 would recommend!

Level sites, easy in and out, great showers and bathrooms. Be sure to visit Alamosa visitor center,…read morelots of great information about the area and Colorado in general.

Montez Skate Park is unexpectedly situated in the center of Monte Vista, CO…read more While my daughters and I were there on June 29, 2024, we had the place to ourselves for a short while. Then a small group of boys about their age came over and started doing their thing... neighborhood kids. Lol. My girls didn't want to hang out with them. It has some really nice features for beginners. Restrooms nearby. Picnic tables and shade trees too. Get off your devices and go here now kids.

This short hike to the falls was one of the most worthwhile mini adventures taken in a long long…read moretime... The reward was this magical ice covered masterpiece of nature... We got super lucky with our timing and caught the falls in one of the most amazing moments.... Do not pass this one up...

A 30 foot frozen falls await you up a fairly steep one mile trail that has lots of rocks and plenty…read moreof ice/snow melt in late March. Be sure to wear shoes/boots with good grips for the trail. The hike is well worth it. As I approached the falls, the sound was just surreal as I could hear the water flowing below the frozen ice from the falls. There is also a beautiful blue glow from the frozen falls. A must see if you are near the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Great environment! Lots of fun activities for littles to learn and enjoy, definitely recommend!read more