Great Sand Dunes National Park is otherworldly and honestly one of the most unique landscapes to be…read moreexperiences in North America. It's a bit of a smaller park in terms of trails and not going to be like RMNP so make sure you know what you're getting into. We planned our trip for May when the creek is usually flowing and the dunes are optimal for sledding. Unfortunately for us we hit a patch of bad weather and it was drizzling our whole day spent here. Additionally the park is experiencing a dry spell and the creek that is usually flowing in May was still dry. C'est la vie! We still had a blast climbing the dunes, letting the kids play in the sand, and taking in the views. To be honest the views are the best part - it's incredible to see these dunes and learn more about the history of the landscape in this region of Colorado. We didn't get to sled as the conditions were not ideal for it but we plan on someday returning and doing the full experience. If you're on the fence about coming here it's well worth a visit!

As home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, this place is absolutely worth checking out. We…read morecame over Memorial Day weekend and we had been hearing rumblings in town that this is typically one of their busiest seasons of the year so we were really nervous we would have to wait in long lines, it would be crowded, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy our hike up the sand dunes. It was actually totally chill, it took maybe 15 minutes to get situated and pay for our park pass, drive to the dunes, and find parking but nothing outrageous. I will say the park rangers here are not friendly and fairly rude if I'm being honest. The dunes themselves were super fun, we had never been to anything with this much sand before so it was a blast sledding down the hills! All of the visitors were really nice and friendly to one another which is always great to see. We specifically rented a 4x4 jeep so we could go on the Medano Pass Primitive Road and probably only made it about 5 miles. THIS was actually crowded and unruly as it's one lane and you have to park on the side every now and then to let cars from the opposite direction come through. It was bumpy, not scenic at all, and rather annoying having to stop so frequently so we ended up ditching it and leaving to go to the visitor center instead. If I were to redo this part, I would have just rented a cheaper car that wasn't a 4x4 and saved loads of gas. Because the park is open 24/7, we were especially excited to come back at night though and see the dunes. We returned around 10:30pm and although there were some really annoying people blasting music in the dunes parking lot that ruined the ambiance, the stars were absolutely magnificent. Since it's a certified International Dark Sky Park,they were absolutely stunning and radiating from the night sky. We got so lucky it was a clear night so we could see them so well! That was the highlight of our trip for sure.

It is an absolute honor to give the first review and page created for the City of South Fork,…read moreColorado. We road tripped to South Fork, CO as our first stop on our way to Durango, CO. My favorite small town, they have the best coffee and morning croissants by Rachel's Keep On Keepin On Coffee Stand! We hiked San Juan National Forest, enjoyed an overlook bypass view and met some really down to earth folk. The outdoor scenery is so surreal and such a blessing; what a blessing this life is. The Bruce Spruce Ranch is just on the other side: West Fork, CO. They have Horseback riding and the West Fork Campground, which has a very kind and welcoming campground host. My friend and I stayed in the Foot Hill Lodge and enjoyed such awesome service and we even spotted some deer. South Fork has some serious farm land and wonderful cows roaming free. I absolutely enjoy the memory we had in May of 2021. This town is truly a gift and spectacular at the very least.

Quite a large visitor center for such a small town. Looks like they might have town meetings there…read moreas well. We ran into Teddy who seemed to be manning the ship. He gave a quick run down on all the highlights of San Luis including a recommendation to get tacos at Sonias.

Pueblo is blessed to have Steven representing this area! A friendlier and more knowledgable local…read morecannot be found I'm sure. Take his advise, it's valid. Ask anything you want, he'll find the answer! And make sure you take a walk around the riverfront. This town did an amazing job creating an inviting space with wonderful waterside eateries & businesses that deserve a look

I don't think I've ever been to a "welcome center" that was as genuinely welcoming as this one…read more Steven, who manages the center, enhanced our Pueblo visit more than I can say. We took every one of his suggestions (which were tailored to our personalities) and they were all great. He even called a local coffee place for us to confirm they were open, and had a solution (that worked) on how to get email on my cranky iPad. He's a gem!

This park is really nice. You can camp here but we just day tripped. We hit the river. Went…read moreswimming. Beautiful view. Lots of room to not he near people if you chose not to. Pueblo itself is a terrible city but this park is gorgeous.

The reservoir is a great place to go spend time on the water. All the people that work there are…read morevery helpful and full of knowledge. Love spending time out there. So easy to add the park pass when you renew your vehicle plates. Really a beautiful reservoir.

In the brief, golden interlude when winter loosens its grip on southern Colorado, the great…read moreseasonal spectacle returns to Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. This is a sweet spot of the year, the weeks when migratory Sandhill Crane descend upon the San Luis Valley in numbers that feel almost biblical. For surrounding towns, it's a quiet boon: birders arrive with thermoses and binoculars. Life-size crane cutouts celebrate the moment affixed along Main Street, or 1st Avenue as locals know it. The valley briefly hums, and then pauses with delighted witness. If you can go now, while they're still there, do. At dawn the refuge opens in a soft hush, frost silvering the marsh grasses. Then the cranes begin to gather: thousands of them, wings flashing pale gray, their ancient, bugling calls carrying across the wetlands. The viewing pullout known as 8S is the place to linger. The cranes bow, leap, and wheel in loose companies while flocks of Canada Geese drift nearby with neighborly indifference. It is difficult not to feel you've stumbled upon something grand and improbably joyful. It is a wonder written in wings and wind.

The Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge entails a fairly vast amount of land in Southern Colorado…read more Its 14,804 acres is located in an area referred to as the San Luis Valley. Along with two other wildlife refuges in the Valley, Monte Vista "provides [a] crucial feeding, resting, and breeding habitat for over 200 bird species and other wildlife." For some reason, my significant other doesn't see as much wildlife as he used to. It could be because of that jerk farmer neighbor of his that speeds 85 miles-per-hour down the dirt roads and all other highways. Or just an influx of humans moving into the area over the years. Most recently my daughters & I awed at the geese flying in V-formation overhead. These huge birds honked loudly & proudly over the refuge and surrounding farm fields. Their calls are quite an amazing alarm clock, or an exceedingly annoying one, depending on your wakefulness mood. Lol. During the winter, the wind can cut through improper clothing and give your body a full chill. In fact, the wind blows quite a bit in this valley throughout the entire year. But when I was most recently here on September 3, 2023, the weather was balmy -- such a treat compared to the dreadful heat we were having in Southeastern New Mexico. If I had a nice camera, I'd attempt to capture the various species in existence, but I don't so I can't. There is a visitor center near E County Road 6 S on Highway 15. Haven't visited there yet but perhaps someday...

We stopped here on our way through colorado. This is a national monument. The ancient people who…read morelived in the area lived high up in the rocks and built structures. The two chimney like rock formations are easily seen from the parking area. To get to the structures you need to go up much higher and then hike. We did not do this. Back when the people lived there the moon would rise in between the two chimney rocks every year and it was a celebration. Now it is only every 18 years this happens that the moon rises in between the two rocks. Very interesting. The visitor center was very nice. They have a very interesting movie to learn about the area.

I flew from San Francisco to Albuquerque then drove from Albuquerque to Trinidad Lake State Park…read more That's how much I wanted to see this place. I came for the KT boundary and it did not disappoint. Use the long canyon trail entrance. There is a very convenient parking lot 0.25 miles from the KT boundary exposures. In fact, the entire Cliff face has KT boundary exposures. There are even exposures on county road 18.3 before you enter the park. The park scenery is beautiful. It would be great for mountain biking or even some relatively simple bicycle riding. If I lived in this area this would be one of my favorite Hangouts. Don't forget to bring $9 in cash. To pay for parking and park entrance you deposit $9 in cash in an envelope then drop it in a slot.

We never made it to the campground. horrible signage after we got off I-25. We had to use 3…read moredifferent GPS to finally get on the right road and finally found a park entrance sign from a main road, but never saw signs to the campground. as out-of-state travelers I would never recommend this park. we got out of the area and went another 22 miles to a KOA in Raton, NM.