Alamosa

Alamosa, Colorado is located in the Southern part of the state, just east of the Rockies in the San Luis Valley. With its proximity to the Rockies and location in the middle of the San Luis Valley, Alamosa offers a myriad of outdoor activities like four-wheeling in the Rockies and fishing in the Rio Grande River. The Rio Grande National Forest that runs along the Continental Divide provides a great venue for camping and hiking. Perhaps Alamosa's most famous attraction is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, about 35 miles from town. Most people don't expect to see sand dunes at the foot of 14,000-foot mountains, let alone the tallest dunes in North America. This wonderful park does not limit you to trails. You can climb up the dunes as far as you're able and then roll to the bottom. You are allowed to roam freely throughout the park, walking from dunes into forests and then into groves of cottonwoods. One part of the park is at an elevation of 13,604 feet. Fifteen minutes from the Great Sand Dunes is San Luis State Park. This park boasts a beautiful lake for boating and swimming and is an excellent area to bird watch because of the many flocks of different waterfowl, numerous songbirds, and even birds of prey. Train enthusiasts might want to take a ride on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. A steam engine powered train takes you through the mountains via La Veta Pass and then back to Alamosa. In the winter, Wolf Creek Pass and Monarch Mountain provide ideal conditions for skiing and snowmobiling.