La Garita Caldera - 13 Things to Know Before Visiting

There are several things to do in and around the caldera, including hiking, camping, fishing, and sightseeing. Hiking trails wind through the area, offering views of the surrounding landscape. Campgrounds provide a place to set up basecamp for exploring the area. And there are several lakes and streams in the vicinity, making it a great place to fish or just enjoy the scenery. La Garita Caldera is also home to a variety of wildlife.  In addition, the area includes several hot springs, which are perfect for soaking after a long day of exploring.

The La Garita Caldera is one of a number of calderas that formed during a massive ignimbrite flare-up in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada from 40–18 million years ago, and was the site of massive eruptions about 28.01±0.04 million years ago, during the Oligocene Epoch. The resulting eruption column reached an estimated height of over 50 miles (80 km), making it one of the largest eruptions in Earth's history. Today, the caldera is largely obscured by younger rocks and sediments, but its size and age are still evident in the surrounding landscape. Despite its size and prominence, La Garita Caldera is relatively unknown compared to other volcanoes, due in part to its remote location.

The best time to visit La Garita Caldera in Mineral County, Colorado is from late June to early September. During this time, the weather is generally mild and the days are long, allowing visitors to enjoy all that the area has to offer.

1. Start your hike early in the day. The caldera is located at an elevation of 12,000 feet, so it can get very hot during the summer months. Avoiding the midday heat will help you stay comfortable and avoid dehydration.
2.  Respect closures and posted signs . There are parts of La Garita Caldera that are closed off for safety reasons or to protect fragile ecosystems . Please respect these closures and do not go beyond posted signs or barriers.
3. Bring a map, as cell phone service is spotty at best within the caldera.
4. Allow plenty of time to explore, as there's a lot to see and do within the caldera.
5. The ranger station is a great resource - be sure to stop by and chat with the helpful staff before heading out on any hikes.
6. campgrounds fill up quickly during peak season - make sure to book your spot in advance if you plan on camping overnight.
7.  Fishing is allowed in certain areas of the park - be sure to check with the ranger station before wetting your line. 

1. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains, including the San Juans, Sangre de Cristos, and Culebra Range.
2. La Garita Caldera is part of the San Juan Volcanic Field, which includes over 500 volcanoes.
3. The area devastated by the La Garita eruption is thought to have covered a significant portion of what is now Colorado.
4. The scale of La Garita volcanism was the second greatest of the Cenozoic era.
5. La Garita is also the source of at least seven major eruptions of welded tuff deposits over a span of 1.5 million years since the Fish Canyon Tuff eruption. The caldera is also known to have extensive outcrops of a very unusual lava-like rock unit, called the Pagosa Peak Dacite, made of dacite that is very similar to that of the Fish Canyon Tuff. 

If you want to really explore the area and do some prospecting and ruins collecting, you'll need to set aside a full day and more. 

 The most common route is to take Highway 160 west from Alamosa, Colorado. This road leads directly to the caldera's rim. Alternatively, visitors can take Highway 149 south from Gunnison, Colorado. This route takes longer but provides stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

The entrance fee to the caldera is $10 per person. 

The caldera is open to the public all year around and visitors can access the caldera via a number of trailheads.