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Penitente Canyon

4.0 (2 reviews)

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1 year ago

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16 years ago

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La Ventana Natural Arch - Archway

La Ventana Natural Arch

4.5(2 reviews)
0.1 km

During Lunch on Day 1 of my recent Earthwatch Adventure we stopped at the base of the La Ventana…read more(Window) Natural Arch. It's more of a scramble than a hike to get up to the Arch itself and it's well worth the effort, even though I hadn't yet acclimated to the altitude. The last vertical steps are also a bit tricky and left me wondering if there were a safer way down via the other side. The payoff is to experience a stunning view of the San Luis Valley and observe a hundred+ year old pinon pine. The Natural Arch was formed by the action of wind, rain and weather on a volcanic dome. This eventually carved a large hole through the rock forming a complete circle. This place really reminds me of the old Star Trek (TOS) episode called "City on the Edge of Forever". I half expected that if I jumped through the portal that I would go back in time and meet Edith Keeler. In any event, it was certainly windy enough to blow me somewhere else within the space-time continuum. Yet on the other side, was rolling green landscape and a nice place to enjoy a sack lunch. And at the end of my stay here (and unlike Mr. James Tiberius Kirk), I was in no hurry to "Get the Hell Out of Here".

This isn't a business. It's a very beautiful natural feature from the largest volcano ever to…read morehappen, well, on earth. Go see it.

Photos
La Ventana Natural Arch - Person looking back through the archway

Person looking back through the archway

La Ventana Natural Arch - View just before reaching the Arch

View just before reaching the Arch

La Ventana Natural Arch - View to the other side from the arch

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View to the other side from the arch

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Information Sign  10-06-2025

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

4.7(240 reviews)
74.2 km

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.

A truly remarkable landscape that must be experienced. These are the tallest sand dunes in North…read moreAmerica. Yes, in Colorful Colorado!!! My first trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park was in February of this year. It completely exceeded my expectations. No, it's not classic Colorado. Yes, I visited in the off season (more people should do this!) Minimal crowds meant having most of the park to myself. I rented a sandboard in Alamosa and sandboarded down the dunes. Only $20 at Kristi Mountain Sports! Talk about a thrilling experience! Totally recommend doing this if you're craving an adventure. All you have to be cautious of are the weather conditions, specifically wind. I watched the forecast like a hawk and tailored my visit accordingly. The two popular hikes to experience the dunes are High Dune and Star Dune, with the latter being the tallest. Now you know I'm a hiker and that I grew up near the ocean...but hiking on sand??? Not for the faint of heart! I made it up to High Dune and ran out of water and decided it was best to head back. Incredible views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At a few points I was completely surrounded by dunes and that was a feeling I never thought I'd experience! Visiting at sunrise the following morning was spectacular. I was the only one in the trailhead parking lot! The pink skies over the dunes and mountains was a special combination. I hiked the Dunes Overlook Trail afterwards and I'd recommend it since you get to see the park from a higher vantage point. I also saw 25 deer on trail, no I'm not exaggerating! This was the adventure of a lifetime. Go play in Colorado's sandbox, you'll be surprised how much you enjoy it! Can't wait to come back!

Photos
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Me on top of dune

Me on top of dune

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

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Rio Grande National Forest

Rio Grande National Forest

4.5(2 reviews)
53.9 km

The Rio Grande National Forest spans over 1.83 million acres in southern Colorado. You can enjoy…read moremuch of its beauty by hopping on and off your drive along Route 160. We were headed from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Mesa Verde and completely underestimated this stunning drive. It seems as though much of this area is untouched and not visited by many as we were the only ones one the road for miles and miles. Some fun facts: -The Rio Grande which obviously runs through this forest with the same name starts its 1800 mile journey down to to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of this forest. -The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the border on the west side of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the eastern border. -In between the two mountain ranges, Sangre dr Cristo and San Juan sits the San Luis Valley which is said to be the largest agricultural alpine valley in the US! -The Forest is 7600 ft above sea level and peaks at 14,300 feet Warnings: -The elevation is NO JOKE! I definitely felt it here. The kids didn't mention anything however. Come prepared with a electrolyte fluids and/or electrolyte bands. (I get mine on Amazon) -The roads are curvy and much of them remain without a guard rail. That in combination with the potential weather and slippery roads, and the wildlife...I don't suggest driving on here at night. Plan according to be off the roads before complete sunset, but try to stay on for the beginning of it! Beautiful! -Get gas before entering down this stretch of 160! Not a station is around! -You will have little to no cell reception. The sights are beautiful! Make sure you stop and wander a bit, but don't get lost as it's fairly remote and desolate and you will most likely not have cell reception. There's definitely wildlife as we stumbled upon what I believe was a deer carcass, rib cage and pelt just at the base of the Rio Grande. (There's no school class quite like self exploration for the wee ones) Oh, and if you're an avid hiker and have your filtration water bottle on hand, take some sips of the Rio Grande! How many can say they have? Cool! My kiddos very much enjoyed snowball fights mid April! It seems from the weather reports on their site there's usually snow here even in the summer, just higher up the peaks. So fun! I would come back again to explore and backcountry camp OTG (off the grid) a bit next time. We recommend exploring on your drive through this section of the highway.

After the disappointment of the auto trail at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, the Alder…read moreTrail at the Rio Grande National Forest provided a much needed dose of nature. The route to the trail was a little difficult to find, but the Alder Creek Guard Station made it easy to see that we were on the right track. The trail itself was fairly steep, but it provided a pleasant glimpse at the forest, mountains, and the flat lands below. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife (with the exception of a few species of birds), but we were put at ease by the beautiful trees and babbling brook. A very peaceful experience for anyone looking for a moderate hiking trail with a great view.

Photos
Rio Grande National Forest
Rio Grande National Forest
Rio Grande National Forest - You got to zoom in on this one

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You got to zoom in on this one

Penitente Canyon - hiking - Updated June 2026

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