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    Zapata Falls Campground

    5.0 (3 reviews)

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    Purgatoire Campground - Site 4

    Purgatoire Campground

    5.0(1 review)
    51.4 mi

    This weekend we decided to venture in to the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the…read moreSan Isabel National Forest to enjoy the wildflowers and try our hand at fishing. The headwaters of the rainbow trout-stocked Purgatoire River run through Purgatoire Campground and we were lucky enough to pitch our tents just a few paces from it this weekend; the crashing and tumbling water providing a surprisingly perfect "white noise" each night for slumber. The area surrounding the river is absolutely stunning with wildflowers and dense aspen and conifer growth everywhere. And, as is usually the case, it isn't until after we experience a place such as this that I become curious about its history. This weekend was no exception. Just 30 minutes of research this morning revealed an intriguing irony: the attraction and abundant life that characterizes the Purgatoire River is shrouded in historical mystery, hardship, and death: "It was once thought that Spanish explorers, namely a party led by Francisco Leyva de Bonilla in 1593, were the first to visit the Purgatoire River in the sixteenth century. An attack by Native Americans killed all but one of the Bonilla party at some point after it left New Mexico and reached the Great Plains. The attack was initially thought to have occurred on the Purgatoire; the river was so named because of the unblessed Catholic souls that were allegedly sent to el purgatorio--purgatory--along its banks. The name stuck (its current version is French), but the river may be named for the souls of men who never reached it--the location of the Bonilla expedition's demise remains uncertain." (Ref: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/las-animas-county) At any rate, it is well worth the 2-1/2 hour drive from Colorado Springs to visit this alluring area and imagine what it was like before paved roads, iPhones, and grocery stores. To get there: Purgatoire Campground GPS coordinates are: (Latitude, Longitude): 37.2525, -105.10917 37°15'9"N, 105°6'33"W From La Veta, Colorado, take State Route 12 south for 25.3 miles to Purgatoire campground sign. Turn right onto gravel Route 34. Go 0.2 miles to "T" intersection. Turn right and drive 4 miles on rough gravel road to campground. The campground is very clean and monitored by camp hosts, Helga and Larry. I recommend Site 4, in particular, because it sits on the river and is sandwiched in between just one other campsite to the right and open space and the 5-mile North Fork Trail trailhead to the left.

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    Purgatoire Campground
    Purgatoire Campground
    Purgatoire Campground

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    Rustic Rook Resort - Morning in our tent

    Rustic Rook Resort

    3.8(39 reviews)
    12.8 mi

    **Please note: this review is for the Rustic Rook Grain Bin rentals, which is part of Rustic Rook…read moreResort, and are both located on the same property** We stayed here last night and I want to say that the accommodations were "okay" at best. I would equate it to like staying in a tiny home with a much better bathroom. If that's your thing, I'd say book a stay. However, I'd like to highlight my experience with the management, which was not the best. I don't know who I was texting with because they didn't give me their name. This situation may apply to you or it may not. I just need to type it here, so I can release the negative energy and anxiety that this situation has caused me. We booked this about a week in advance. We were told later that their business would not accept my letter from my doctor stating that my dog is my emotional support animal (ESA). I do have a few medical conditions that do allow me to have this designation for my pet. In the past 10 years, I have never had a hotel, motel, AirB&B, etc. refuse my letter and still charge me the pet fee, but Rustic Rook Resort did just that. I did ask that my reservation be cancelled and refunded, but they stated they would not reverse the charge because I would've needed to cancel 30 days in advance of the stay date. Keep in mind that I made the reservation a week before my trip. At this point, I was bound to the reservation or lose all of the money I'd spent. We did obviously keep the reservation and made the 4 hour drive to come to Mosca, CO and enjoy the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which was amazing! Later that day we started seeing severe weather alerts for snow, wind, and below freezing temperatures. We didn't think it would be a good idea to stay the second night for safety reasons. When I asked the person I'd been texting if they would kindly refund that second night due to the extreme weather conditions that were coming, I was denied any refund. We left anyway and hit some pretty bad weather on the way home. If we'd waited till the next day as planned, it would've been much worse. Now, here's where I stand on their decision to not waive my pet fee for an emotional support animal, and not offer any kind of refund for needing to leave a day early due to extreme weather. I realize there are policies in place, and I'm sure there will be a response to my review from Rustic Rook Resort. They will likely say that these are our policies, etc., etc. In response to that, I'd like to say that it's not always about a policy in your business. It's about customer satisfaction. Would it be a slight inconvenience for you to bend the rules in these situations? Most likely. Would it be the kind thing to do and to make this more of a positive human experience? Yes. I would've gladly made this an annual trip because we loved the area so much. I also have family who travel to Colorado to see us each year. They were excited to hear all about our experience. This is how you get repeat business. Making the customer have a positive experience should be a higher priority than adhering to a "policy." In addition, and this is just how I read the texts. Sometimes it's hard to tell the context of a text message, but in this case (in my opinion) those texts came off with a very condescending tone. This did not help in the least and it caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. This was supposed to be a nice, relaxing weekend getaway. Unfortunately, this experience made me wish we'd just stayed home. I hope this review helps someone else make an informed decision about whether to stay here. I'm not on here to bash this business. They made their decision and I'm choosing to share my experience based on the decision Rustic Rook Resort made. Thanks for reading. **Update 01/28/26. Just as I predicted, the policies were thrown back at me. I want to reiterate that sometimes it's about doing the right thing to create a positive outcome. I want to be sure to point out that we did leave before the major part of the storm hit. It was just starting as we left. Had we waited another day, it would've been a much worse situation. I appreciate that you are a small business. I also recognize that it's "off season," but that doesn't give you an excuse to just recite a policy to me and dismiss the fact that it was a real weather "emergency." Any reputable business would take that into account. Clearly we need to agree to disagree here, but the fact of the matter remains, I will never recommend your business to anyone. There are much more reputable accommodations in your area. I wish you well in your off season. I hope the money you made off of me during the weather emergency was worth having this review posted.

    Even before I stepped foot onto this property, I was exchanging emails with Annette and Amber…read moreregarding some logistics of the trip including meals, high altitude and sand sleds. They were always very responsive which helped with the planning of this trip. We arrived pretty late on the first day around 830pm. Amber helped check us in and she was not only super helpful (showing us our tent, capturing a few moths for us, starting the camp stove for us etc) but was super friendly so shout out to Amber!! We got to enjoy the last bit of smores by the firepit before we unloaded, bbq our burgers and unwind for the night. I booked the Estate tent 16x20 which included two full beds and a couch that can unfold into a small bed as well. It comes with a camp stove (1 pack of wood per night). It also came with a private toilet and sink on one side and a shower on the other. I have been to a few glamping spots and this is one that consistently had hot running water! This is true glamping in style..comes with wifi so you can stay connected even at the tents, chargers, free breakfast, free smores..they have everything you need to have a comfortable stay. The property is beautiful! Mosca, CO which is one of my new favorite place!! The constellations, stars and Milky Way is the best I have seen so far and I have been to a few International dark skies spots for star gazing. We packed a telescope and enjoyed star gazing after dinner. Rustic Rook is amazing in everyway, glamping at its finest! PS: I just realized they do military discounts when I was browsing through their website again. I did not see that when I booked my reservation, oh well. Thank you for supporting military members and veterans!

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    Rustic Rook Resort - Our cozy tent. The mattress was super comfortable!

    Our cozy tent. The mattress was super comfortable!

    Rustic Rook Resort - Tent and side tent for children

    Tent and side tent for children

    Rustic Rook Resort - Camper cabin

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    Camper cabin

    Woods & River Campground - By the river at a picnic table

    Woods & River Campground

    4.1(25 reviews)
    43.9 mi

    Thank you for a wonderful stay at your RV park! The access to the river was absolutely stellar and…read morebeautiful. We caught some great fish every day we were there, which made the trip even more enjoyable. The park was quiet, very well kept, and the sites were nicely spaced out. The bathrooms and even the porta-potty were super clean, which we really appreciated. The laundry room was also very helpful during our stay. The staff was fantastic -- everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The other campers were friendly as well, which created a great atmosphere. We also loved that it was close to town if we wanted to grab dinner or a quick bite to eat. The only negative we noticed were some small ticks that showed up on our last day there. We found a few on the picnic table, though we hadn't seen any before that. Other than that, we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed our stay.

    Amazing! Felt like a hidden gem. Manager- Jeff? So kind,…read morefriendly and helpful. Riverfront Rv sites are stunning with big trees. Water, electric dump only at dump stations. Beautiful and clean everything. The bathrooms were the cleanest I have ever seen at a campground. Free firewood. Free borrow a bike and return it to ride around the campground- mostly kid bikes. Playground had a small zip line/treehouse. Walkable to town and brewery. So quiet and peaceful.

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    Woods & River Campground - Campsite overlooking Rio Grande

    Campsite overlooking Rio Grande

    Woods & River Campground - Bathrooms

    Bathrooms

    Woods & River Campground - Office/bathrooms

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    Office/bathrooms

    UFO Watchtower - The Watchtower

    UFO Watchtower

    4.2(30 reviews)
    21.4 mi

    Along the 'Cosmic Highway' is the UFO Watchtower. It is in the middle of nowhere but close to hot…read moresprings and Great Sand Dunes Park, don't miss it. The UFO Watchtower is an observation platform and campground where tales of UFO sightings have been reported. Located below the platform is a "healing garden" where visitors leave objects to hopefully receive some sort of healing. The garden has "three vortexes that several psychics say are in her front yard. The vortexes are guarded by two invisible beings. You can feel the power when you move close. Larry the supper nice owner and his informative trusty ex military assistant Lee and his rescued Lab Rats regale us with UFO stories. There have been many sightings here and when you climb the watchtower you can see why. The tiny indoor museum houses the remains and story of the mutilation and death of 'Snippy' the horse in 1967 which gained headlines due to unusual circumstances. The head was stripped bare to the bone. The precision cuts on the flank could not have come from a coyote or even a pack of them. A strong chemical smell akin to acetone lingered in the air. Indications of an aircraft landing on the terrain featured "circular exhaust marks", "squashed bushes", and circular indentations in the dirt. A geiger counter alleged reported high radiation counts around the exhaust marks and flattened bushes. Beginning in the 1970s, the US experienced waves of cattle mutilations which were likened to Snippy's death.Mutilation investigator Linda Moulton Howe revisited the Snippy case, interviewing witnesses for her 1989 book An Alien Harvest. A must for UFO fans and roadside attractions and the small entrance fee is worth it. Ask lots of questions and you will get lots of interesting answers.

    This place is absolutely absurd in all the right ways, if you enjoy quirky roadside attractions as…read moreI do. It's got a little history about mutilated livestock and strange sitings by campers through the years but, otherwise, it's just a great place to stretch your legs and enjoy a little fun. It's minutes from the highway, a little bit of a drive from the Great Sand Dunes. At a $5 cover and easy parking, with a menagerie of handcrafted oddities representing aliens and saucerships and other such things out of this world, why would ya pass it up?

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    UFO Watchtower
    UFO Watchtower - The vortex garden

    The vortex garden

    UFO Watchtower

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    Zapata Falls Campground - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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