20 Attractions to Explore Near Cole Park

This is a 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type narrow gauge steam railway locomotive. It is one of twelve similar locomotives built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. It was built as a passenger locomotive, with 46 in drivers, the second largest drivers used on any three foot gauge D&RGW locomotive. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Locomotive No.169 in 2001.

The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad is Colorado's newest train offering steam engine rides through breathtaking mountain valleys and over legendary LaVeta pass on hundreds of miles of historic rail. This 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge route, featuring a climb over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains via Veta Pass, dates back to 1899 and is a successor to the original 3 ft narrow gauge La Veta Pass line of the Denver and Rio Grande Railway, completed in 1878.

A beautiful nature park, which features two covered picnic areas, trails, and several types of wildlife from deer to waterfowl, fox, and many bird species.

The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge covers 11,169 acres of high desert uplands and riparian wetlands in the San Luis Valley.The site consists of wet meadows, river oxbows and riparian corridor primarily within the flood plain of the Rio Grande, and dry uplands vegetated with greasewood and saltbush. These areas support a small but rich biodiversity including songbirds, water birds, raptors, red fox, mule deer, black bear, beaver and coyotes.

The Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge covers 11,169 acres of high desert uplands and riparian wetlands in the San Luis Valley.The site consists of wet meadows, river oxbows and riparian corridor primarily within the flood plain of the Rio Grande, and dry uplands vegetated with greasewood and saltbush.It is considered to be more wild and less intensely managed than the nearby Monte Vista refuge.

San Luis State Park is a former state park located in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the area, including coyotes, kangaroo rats, rabbits, elk, various kinds of songbirds, raptors, reptiles and amphibians.This wildlife area is ideal for hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation. A valid hunting or fishing license is required for everyone 18 or older accessing any State Wildlife Area.

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is located in the San Luis Valley, a high mountain basin located in south-central Colorado. The site was historically an agricultural area and thus water is intensively managed on the refuge, especially in comparison to the nearby Alamosa refuge. Irrigation includes numerous dikes and other water control structures that provide water to a patchwork of diverse wetland habitats ranging from shallow wet meadows to open water.

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.

The Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge spans an area of 2,144 acres and was established in 1965. The primary focus of the refuge is to provide a habitat for the migrating birds that pass through the area. However, the refuge also supports a variety of other wildlife, including elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and coyotes. In addition to its abundant wildlife, the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge also features a variety of landscapes, from meadows and wetlands to forests and grasslands.

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.

Smith Reservoir is located in Costilla County, Colorado, south of Blanca in the San Luis Valley.The lake and the land immediately surrounding it are also designated as the Smith Reservoir State Wildlife Area. It offers trout fishing, waterfowl hunting, and camping.

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.

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.

Brownie Hills is one of the Summits in Costilla County. It is one of the iconic trekking destination and also it offers nice views of the area.

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.

Lake Como is a high mountain lake located in Alamosa County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. the road to the lake is said to be the toughest 4WD road in the country. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and there is so many hikeing trails and also so many other leisure activities possible.

Little Bear Peak is a high mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,043-foot fourteener is located on the Sierra Blanca Massif, 8.8 miles north by east of the Town of Blanca, Colorado.Little Bear is composed of pre-Cambrian granite estimated to be approximately 1.8 billion years old. Along with nearby Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point Little Bear rises nearly 7,000 feet above the San Luis Valley to the west and south.

Culebra Creek is a stream in Costilla County, Colorado. It begins at the junction of El Valle and Carneros creeks and flows into the Rio Grande 11 miles east of Manassa, Colorado.The creek is the source of the San Luis People's Ditch, an acequia, which was given the highest priority water rights in the state. The entire Culebra Creek Watershed supports fourteen acequias.

A majestic high mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Named after the famous Colorado mountain climber, Albert Ellingwoood, Ellingwood Point is part of the Blanca massif. It is named and above 14,000 ft and is often climbed with it's more popular neighbor, Blanca Peak. Ellingwood Point is 0.5 miles northwest of Blanca and crowns the amazing northeast face above the Huerfano Valley.

UFO Watchtower is a privately run observation deck, which was designed specifically for observing and tracking UFOs, and it boasts some of the most high-tech equipment in the world for doing so. Visitors to UFO Watchtower can stay overnight in comfortable cabins, and during the day they can participate in guided tours and talks about aliens and UFO sightings. The watchtower itself is an impressive structure, built atop a hill with 360-degree views of the surrounding area.