San Luis State Wildlife Area - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Trujillo Homesteads are a historic ranch site near Mosca, Alamosa County, Colorado, not far from the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The homestead site covers about 11 acres in a remote rural setting northeast of Mosca. The site includes the archaeological site where Pedtro Trujillo built his log cabin, the surviving ranch house, and a corral area dating to the Trujillo's ownership period. The ranch house is a two-story rectangular log structure, covered by a modern metal roof.

The San Luis Valley is a region in south-central Colorado with a small portion overlapping into New Mexico. It is a spiritual, intriguing land offering a sense of peace amid epic 100-mile views and sand dunes circled by soaring peaks, the valley is peppered with the legacy of American Indian, Hispanic and European settlers and explorers, steeped in history and ripe with folklore.

The Colorado Gator Farm is one of Alamosa’s most unique attractions, and highly underrated. A geothermal well on the property creates ponds and wetlands for the alligators, but also provides habitat and food for many water-birds and waterfowl. The "Two Mile Creek Wildlife Habitat" lets visitors view alligators, reptiles, and birds in a natural setting, and to go fishing, boating, and picnicking. Over 125 species of birds have been sighted at the farm.

Zapata Ranch is an authentic working cattle and bison guest ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy, covering more than 100,000 acres and bordering the Great Sand Dunes National Park. With nearly 2,000 head of free-roaming bison, the ranch specializes in multiple night stays where visitors become immersed in the Colorado ranching experience.

Medano Creek is often referred to as Colorado’s Natural beach, as it forms at the foot of the Great Sand Dunes and creates an incredibly fun venue for visitors to splash around, picnic, and sometimes even float down in rafts. Since the river is fed by the surrounding mountain's snowpack, the best time to enjoy the river is typically spring and early summer.

Zapata Falls is a waterfall located near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Bureau of Land Management land adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest. The falls has a drop of 30-foot . Access to this waterfall entails a mildly steep 0.5 mi (0.80 km) hike. Viewing the falls requires fording the stream and climbing rocks. A short but adventurous hike over slippery rocks leads to a magnificent 25-foot waterfall at Zapata Falls Recreation Area.