Excursion Of The Week.

(Photo by Patrick Myers)

Trip: Crestone, Sand Dunes National Monument, Zapata Falls

One of my all-time favorite trips will take you about 4 hours southwest of Denver into the San Luis Valley. As you drive through this magnificent valley you will see the Sangre De Cristo ("blood of Christ") mountains on one side and the San Juan mountains on the other. This drive really makes me feel like I am in the Old West... a classic shot of a dusty, rugged and majestic landscape all around.

The destination is twofold: the city of Crestone and then further down the road to the Sand Dunes National Monument.

About Crestone:

The little town of Crestone is mainly made up of a community of New Agers, as some call this area the "crown chakra". I come to Crestone to hike and camp at the North Crestone Creek Campground. This campground is tucked away at the edge of the Rio Grande National Forest. The campsites lie just beside the creek, under a canopy of trees. There is a huge rock wall on the opposite side of the creek that makes for a nice secluded, niche of a camp. So, you can set up camp here and then venture out to some other cool sites not too far away. There are also a couple of hot springs a few minutes drive away...well...more like 20 minutes or so away....

Here are some more details regarding the N. Crestone Creek Campground:
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/menasha/cmp_colo.htm

Hot Springs Info:

http://www.joyfuljourneyhotsprings.com/
http://www.olt.org/

About the Sand Dunes National Monument:

When I first moved to Denver I had never heard of the Sand Dunes before. Since I am originally from a beachtown, and used to seeing sand dunes, I didn't understand what the draw was....Being as how Denverites seem to make a big deal out of puddles; calling them lakes and such...I figured this was another exaggeration and thought certainly that these sand dunes would really be more like dirt piles....Ummmmmm....I was wrong--completely and totally w-r-o-n-g! The Sand Dunes National Monument should really be called The Sand Dunes Range! These dunes are massive! It took me literally 45+ minutes to hike to the top of a freaking sand dune! The tallest dune is over 750 feet! Seriously, The Sand Dunes National Monument is a spectacular adventure! Come see the tallest dunes in North America!

There are also several campgrounds nearby, including inside of the park. So, if you don't want to drive an hour between the dunes and Crestone than there are some other campground options.

Here is a link for more info about the monument:

http://www.nps.gov/grsa/

http://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm


Zapata Falls:

There is a really cool waterfall that is somewhat inside of a short cave, near the Pinon Flats Campground inside of the park. There is a trail you can take up to the falls or you can access the falls from US Highway 150. Definitely check it out!

http://www.nps.gov/archive/grsa/zapata_falls.htm