A great swimming pool and spa-like area for adults too. I really enjoyed this place! The water was…read morewarm! The environment was fun and relaxing. A variety of different pools and activities are available. There are also two restaurants with yummy food options. I appreciated the tranquil greenhouse for adults only. I hope I can visit again soon. This is a really unique and special place!!!!

This is a oasis/spa in the middle of the Colorado plains and just on the outskirts of Great Sand…read moreDunes National Park. Definitely recommend this resort as at least a two (2) night base camp for your ultimate planned NP excursion. Arrive/check-in then rent your Sand Boards for your next day use at the NP (and arrive early at the NP before the sand gets too hot!). After your Sand Dunes park play, return to this resort to unwind and relax in a natural, therapeutic spa fashion. Be aware: There is good, tasty food on-site (breakast, lunch and dinner) and the selection is varied but not elegant! And, there is no other food locations in the area. BYOB and mixers - you can buy ice upon arrival. Finally, get to the Adult Greenhouse before 11am to secure a lounge chair as there is not many. Kudos to all the facility and concession personnel, most of whom live nearby, that do their utmost to ensure that your stay is memorable.

This is definitely another roadside attraction. But it was fun and kitchy and I'm glad we checked…read moreit out and it was five bucks a person to go in. It's very hot. There's no shade bring water half sunscreen and a little something to leave behind for the aliens.

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?

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.

UPDATE: Not a retaliation as we never requested a refund. We left after one night because the place…read morewas filthy and not as described. We spoke with the host four separate times, and even politely requested chairs for our tent (which never arrived), so the statement that we did not seek to rectify issues is not true. As for the sugary drink, that cup was in my hand as I was drinking it, so.....enough said. Most importantly, the Rook has not once contacted us to discuss the issues, even after multiple requests from us. Look at their responses to any negative review. No accountability, no apologies, just excuses and attacks. Maybe the Rook should spend less time bullying their patrons and more time cleaning the bathrooms. I had plenty more photos, including the disgusting bathrooms, so I posted more for all to see. Photos speak volumes. Management can contact me at any time if they are truly interested in improving. Set your expectations. This property is neither "glamorous" nor a "resort." The positive: The property has some outstanding sunsets, and the dark skies were special. Breakfast burritos were tasty. That said... The reality: Our tent looked nothing like the photos on the website. First, it was filthy. Stains and animal droppings littered the floor, and it looked like it hadn't been thoroughly swept in months (see photos). We had only one small nightstand (website states two), so we had to pile all our belongings on the bed to avoid the poo and dirt on the floor. Instead of the comfy "butterfly chairs" pictured on the website, we had two decrepit chairs with uneven cushions (see photos). Not comfy. The wooden chairs on the deck were rickety and neither safe nor comfortable (again see photos), so we had nowhere to relax. Because we had nowhere to sit and our tent was 130+ degrees from 8am to 8pm (note that they do warn you that the tents are quite hot in the summer), we tried exploring outside. Unfortunately, the bugs made it unbearable (see photos of my cup covered in hundreds of gnats) and the property offers no shade to respite from the sun. We are seasoned backpackers and campers, so I understand rustic, but for HEFTY price tag, I expected more than gnats, animal droppings, and gross bathrooms. Our reservation was for two nights, but one was enough for us. Now, Before the "rook" comes at us (I've read some of the other responses), please know that we did go to the office several times to try to resolve issues. We also requested twice that the owners phone us. We've heard nothing from them, so now they get a yelp review.update;

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!

Lake Como trail was a lot of fun. The hike to Lake Como isn't easy so pack light. I would also…read morerecommend starting early in the morning because there isn't a lot of shade along the trail to protect you from the sun. Don't forget your bug spray (I've never seen so many mosquitoes in my life). Be careful on Blanca and Ellingwood because it's easy to lose the trail.

Things you MUST know about the most common Mount Blanca trail:…read more 1. Hardest Off Road trail in the country. 2. Overnight camp at beautiful Como Lake. There are 2 campsites one will cross before getting to Como Lake if your in a sticky situation. 3. Takes about 5-7 hours to get to Como Lake. There may be a large stream or two interrupting the trail at some parts that one must navigate (over 100 yeards after rainfall) 4. 3 hours to summit blanca after leaving Como Lake. 5. Will pass 3 lakes in all reaching peak. One with a large 50 foot waterfall. 6. Not many people climb this fourteener compared to others because of its location. 7. Ellingwood and Little Bear are accessible from this peak. 8. This is a Moderately Difficult Fourteener. 9. Como Lake and Summit offer spectacular views.

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.

I love a good visitor's center and this one is great, especially for the size of this park. Inside…read moreyou'll find a fantastic launching point for your time at Great Sand Dunes National Park. At each National Park we visit with our kids we inquire about the Jr. Ranger Program and our six year old had a fun time filling it out and learning about the Great Sand Dunes to earn her badge. I will say, as a parent, you end up learning a lot too which is always fun. Inside this visitor's center there is a small museum display that talks about the flora and fauna of the park, and the history of the region. You'll also find a big display that shows the current weather and a few rangers that are there to answer questions. This visitor's center also had a small but mighty gift shop. All in all a great little first stop on our way into the park.

What a nice visitor center! We try to always stop at the visitor center first at any national park…read moreto make sure our plans are do-able and that we're not missing any must-stops. And the rangers here were friendly, knowledgeable, and more than happy to help us make sure we had the best plans for the day. Nice exhibits inside with information about the park. A decent-sized bookstore with nice souvenirs - if you collect pressed pennies, they don't have a machine but do sell the GSDNP pennies already pressed. Step outside the back, you'll find a nice overlook of the park and the dunes - a little sneak peek of what's to come. Nice & clean bathrooms - always a treat. They also have free Wi-Fi. Plenty of parking in the lot, and it's a short few miles from the parking lot for the main dunes. Great stop to learn some more information about the park before you start your day.

OK, first of all this is the only show in town…read more The pros... 1. The hotel is family owned which is nice. 2. The views of the dunes and sunsets from your back patio are astounding 3. The people at the front desk are friendly 4. Location!!! The hotels proximity to the park is perfect! You can see the park sign from the hotel. 5. Watching the hummingbirds at the many feeders outside the rooms was fun after a long day at the park. The cons... 1. The rooms are dated and small and could use some updating. 2. The beds have been well used and don't have much life left in them. 3. We stayed for 2 nights and the room wasn't freshened after the first night - no one made the bed or tidied the room. Maybe that's not what they do in rural Colorado but that's the first ever hotel where I've experienced this.

We recently stayed two nights Labor Day weekend. Way overpriced. The front desk staff were friendly…read moreand helpful. The breakfast was adequate. Two comfortable queen beds, refrigerator, microwave, bathroom, two folding chairs, rooms were clean. Outside your room are piles of debris attracting rodents. Garbage all over the GSD lodge. Such an eyesore.