We stopped at Great Sand Dunes National Park during a scenic drive to Durango and were impressed by…read moreits unique landscape. The massive dunes set against the surrounding mountain range create spectacular views unlike anything else in Colorado. The visitor center was well maintained, with clean restrooms, an informative museum, and had a short film highlighting the dune ecosystem. There is also a large gift shop, though prices were on the higher side. While I would not consider it a destination on its own, it is absolutely worth a stop if you're traveling through this part of the state. Note: No vehicles of any type are allowed on the dunes.

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!

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.

Great Lake with camping spots and Beautiful views. A little on the windy side. The lake is long so…read moregood for wakeboarding or tubing. Bathrooms are clean and have lots of toilet paper! South shore camping is known to have more nature. There was a mountain lion spotted in the area before our arrival. There are critters so make sure food is secure when you leave the site for the day. Not good if you want your dog off leash. Even well behaved dogs, they are very strict.

We stayed at this campground, in Colorado but close to the New Mexico border, for one night in our…read moresmall Class B camper van in late April, 2024. We actually had reservations further along at a national park but decided to shorten our driving distances for the day. We were able to make our reservation online. This is a very nice campground, with sites nicely spaced out and some nice amenities. We were in the Carpios Ridge campground which has 63 sites for RVs, trailers, and tents on a ridge 150' above the lake. We're actually pleased that our mapping app took us on an indirect route to the campground as our site did not have a water-view and we might have missed the lake otherwise! My understanding is that this is an Army Corps of Engineers (COE) campground that is managed by the state of Colorado. In April, 2024, the seven sites with full hookups were $41, with only 50 amp electricity: $36, and basic: $28. You also need to purchase a state of Colorado daily vehicle pass for $10. (This is expensive as we've stayed at other COE campgrounds for 1/2 off as holders of the NPS interagency senior pass, and without the need for a vehicle pass. $46 with state of Colorado management vs $18 were it COE management -- plus we had already paid for a site at Zapata Falls Campground that we wouldn't be using. The campground has clean restrooms and free showers (for campers only), as well as laundry facilities (in theory) and a book exchange. There are shared water spigots, as well as walking trails in the vicinity. There is also a shared dump station. The Visitors Center was already closed when we arrived and wasn't open yet when we left the following morning but we were able to buy our vehicle pass at a kiosk. We saw rangers patrolling the area. Only two concerns are worth noting. First, as already mentioned, the discrepancy between pricing of state and COE campgrounds. Also, the washing machine ate my $2 without the machine starting. More than the irritation of losing the $2, we really needed to do laundry after having been on the road for few week.