Sneaky cool park. Limited infrastructure that gets job done for access. Enough interpretative…read morecontent to get a sense of area. Really rock formations. Nice low key campsite. A cool place to check out.

One of my Earthwatch colleagues had this place on her "Bucket List". So after a long Friday out in…read morethe San Juan Rift, we stopped at Penitente Canyon for a hike and a few cold beers. Years ago, Penitente Canyon served as a place of worship for Los Hermanos Penitente. The Brothers, Spanish and Indian men of deep faith and commitment, preferred to live secluded in the foothills and canyons of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains to practice their religion freely. In some areas you can see historic/religious painting left behind on the rocks. Penitente Canyon, while quite secluded, has also emerged as one of Colorado's premier rock climbing areas. The area is part of the 7,529 acre Penitente Canyon Special Recreation Management Area of the BLM. Our group had a wonderful time hiking the canyons, clamoring over the "Rock Garden" and watching climbers in various stages of ascent and decent. It's a beautiful area and well worth a trip in this somewhat remote region. Our late afternoon visit was also the perfect beginning of a busy weekend and a great opportunity to just hang out with new friends.

Beautiful spot to chill and relax after you survive the gravel road to get there. Rustic…read moreaccommodations. Wildlife abounds and is so used to people they get very close.

Sad to hear that Thomas no longer enjoys this place but everyone I've spoken to (all long times…read more10/20 year members) are lifers. The ethos behind this place is respect & preservation. "Naturalism" (aka nudism) was one of the founders aims & it's common to see folks not only speaking, but hiking up the trails au natural. And the trails are amazing, as are the views, the springs, the Astronomy pad, the very kind staff, & the wildlife viewing. Along with the keeping it natural vibe, is the dedication to keeping it affordable & family friendly. Cabins & bunk house with shared no frills bathrooms & showers, a well equipped camper kitchen & VERY affordable rates are all part of this effort. Personally, I appreciate the rules & the emphasis on everyone being responsible for making this a comfortable, safe & welcome space for all. Anytime I'm in the neighborhood, I'll be back. Check the website for details on accommodation, fees, pets, etc...

Beautiful breathtaking drive! Recommend if height and sheer drop off in both sides is not a…read moreproblem, take your time and enjoy the epic view

This is a great drive narrow one way foad.DO NOT GO if you are afraid of heights…read more As far as hiking it it is steep and rocky lots of cactus . If you stay on the road way watch for car and step off pavement about half way up from entrance you will see dinosaur footprints and fossils in the rocks way cool.take water with you it will be needed

Great Sand Dunes National Park is otherworldly and honestly one of the most unique landscapes to be…read moreexperiences in North America. It's a bit of a smaller park in terms of trails and not going to be like RMNP so make sure you know what you're getting into. We planned our trip for May when the creek is usually flowing and the dunes are optimal for sledding. Unfortunately for us we hit a patch of bad weather and it was drizzling our whole day spent here. Additionally the park is experiencing a dry spell and the creek that is usually flowing in May was still dry. C'est la vie! We still had a blast climbing the dunes, letting the kids play in the sand, and taking in the views. To be honest the views are the best part - it's incredible to see these dunes and learn more about the history of the landscape in this region of Colorado. We didn't get to sled as the conditions were not ideal for it but we plan on someday returning and doing the full experience. If you're on the fence about coming here it's well worth a visit!

As home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, this place is absolutely worth checking out. We…read morecame over Memorial Day weekend and we had been hearing rumblings in town that this is typically one of their busiest seasons of the year so we were really nervous we would have to wait in long lines, it would be crowded, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy our hike up the sand dunes. It was actually totally chill, it took maybe 15 minutes to get situated and pay for our park pass, drive to the dunes, and find parking but nothing outrageous. I will say the park rangers here are not friendly and fairly rude if I'm being honest. The dunes themselves were super fun, we had never been to anything with this much sand before so it was a blast sledding down the hills! All of the visitors were really nice and friendly to one another which is always great to see. We specifically rented a 4x4 jeep so we could go on the Medano Pass Primitive Road and probably only made it about 5 miles. THIS was actually crowded and unruly as it's one lane and you have to park on the side every now and then to let cars from the opposite direction come through. It was bumpy, not scenic at all, and rather annoying having to stop so frequently so we ended up ditching it and leaving to go to the visitor center instead. If I were to redo this part, I would have just rented a cheaper car that wasn't a 4x4 and saved loads of gas. Because the park is open 24/7, we were especially excited to come back at night though and see the dunes. We returned around 10:30pm and although there were some really annoying people blasting music in the dunes parking lot that ruined the ambiance, the stars were absolutely magnificent. Since it's a certified International Dark Sky Park,they were absolutely stunning and radiating from the night sky. We got so lucky it was a clear night so we could see them so well! That was the highlight of our trip for sure.

This short hike to the falls was one of the most worthwhile mini adventures taken in a long long…read moretime... The reward was this magical ice covered masterpiece of nature... We got super lucky with our timing and caught the falls in one of the most amazing moments.... Do not pass this one up...

A 30 foot frozen falls await you up a fairly steep one mile trail that has lots of rocks and plenty…read moreof ice/snow melt in late March. Be sure to wear shoes/boots with good grips for the trail. The hike is well worth it. As I approached the falls, the sound was just surreal as I could hear the water flowing below the frozen ice from the falls. There is also a beautiful blue glow from the frozen falls. A must see if you are near the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

he Elephant Rocks are part of the Fish Canyon Tuff; volcanic ash welded together over time and has…read morebeen determined to be at least 28 million years old. While the origin of the Wagon tracks is still greatly debated, it is believed that these tracks were cut into the soft volcanic tuff by the action of conastoga wagon wheels. Our Geology-based Earthwatch Expedition spent a lot a time in this area, including parts of the Masonic Park Tuff that revealed itself as we traveled farther in. We had a great time drilling holes (with permit), orienting, using a Schmit Hammer to measure rebound (rock hardness), and collecting samples. This also involved a great deal of hiking at high altitude, which by the end of the trip, put me in really good physical shape. The high desert scenery was also stunning and introspective. I may never pass this way again, but I'll never forget my experience.

Excellent service. Awesome waterside campsites, fire pits, water views, bathroos, showers (with hot…read morewater), trees everywhere, small cabins available as well..... A MUST if you're a fan life peraon, car camper, or RV no d of peraon. This place is LOVELY.

mixed feelings about this campground, we had one of the double cabins close to the river, which was…read morebasically a box with a bed and electricity. No private bathroom or running water or sink.. I'm not sure where the money goes This campground earns because they sure don't put it into the upkeep of their grounds. Deteriorating picnic tables, burned out campfire rings, dirty exterior of cabins, broken patio furniture, dock with uneven curling boards, dog poop everywhere along the river.... the bridge crossing over to the tent side of the campground seemed to be stable. And several mornings there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, also not sure why you would want to carpet a campground bathroom, but there is carpet . Highway 50 runs right next to the campground so you hear traffic, the river is beautiful and clean. I would seek another campground in the area before I stayed at Sweetwater again

During Lunch on Day 1 of my recent Earthwatch Adventure we stopped at the base of the La Ventana…read more(Window) Natural Arch. It's more of a scramble than a hike to get up to the Arch itself and it's well worth the effort, even though I hadn't yet acclimated to the altitude. The last vertical steps are also a bit tricky and left me wondering if there were a safer way down via the other side. The payoff is to experience a stunning view of the San Luis Valley and observe a hundred+ year old pinon pine. The Natural Arch was formed by the action of wind, rain and weather on a volcanic dome. This eventually carved a large hole through the rock forming a complete circle. This place really reminds me of the old Star Trek (TOS) episode called "City on the Edge of Forever". I half expected that if I jumped through the portal that I would go back in time and meet Edith Keeler. In any event, it was certainly windy enough to blow me somewhere else within the space-time continuum. Yet on the other side, was rolling green landscape and a nice place to enjoy a sack lunch. And at the end of my stay here (and unlike Mr. James Tiberius Kirk), I was in no hurry to "Get the Hell Out of Here".

This isn't a business. It's a very beautiful natural feature from the largest volcano ever to…read morehappen, well, on earth. Go see it.

This is a great, little park that has a large open field and places to sit and watch the sunset. It…read moreis right next to the Smokey Jack Observatory where you can sit on a bench at night and see the most incredible display of the stars. Five stars because there are clean bathrooms and plenty of parking.

Lake Como trail was a lot of fun. The hike to Lake Como isn't easy so pack light. I would also…read morerecommend starting early in the morning because there isn't a lot of shade along the trail to protect you from the sun. Don't forget your bug spray (I've never seen so many mosquitoes in my life). Be careful on Blanca and Ellingwood because it's easy to lose the trail.

Things you MUST know about the most common Mount Blanca trail:…read more 1. Hardest Off Road trail in the country. 2. Overnight camp at beautiful Como Lake. There are 2 campsites one will cross before getting to Como Lake if your in a sticky situation. 3. Takes about 5-7 hours to get to Como Lake. There may be a large stream or two interrupting the trail at some parts that one must navigate (over 100 yeards after rainfall) 4. 3 hours to summit blanca after leaving Como Lake. 5. Will pass 3 lakes in all reaching peak. One with a large 50 foot waterfall. 6. Not many people climb this fourteener compared to others because of its location. 7. Ellingwood and Little Bear are accessible from this peak. 8. This is a Moderately Difficult Fourteener. 9. Como Lake and Summit offer spectacular views.