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    UFO Watchtower

    4.2 (33 reviews)

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    Which one does not look like the other?
    Jennifer L.

    This place is absolutely absurd in all the right ways, if you enjoy quirky roadside attractions as I do. It's got a little history about mutilated livestock and strange sitings by campers through the years but, otherwise, it's just a great place to stretch your legs and enjoy a little fun. It's minutes from the highway, a little bit of a drive from the Great Sand Dunes. At a $5 cover and easy parking, with a menagerie of handcrafted oddities representing aliens and saucerships and other such things out of this world, why would ya pass it up?

    The Watchtower
    Janet S.

    Along the 'Cosmic Highway' is the UFO Watchtower. It is in the middle of nowhere but close to hot springs and Great Sand Dunes Park, don't miss it. The UFO Watchtower is an observation platform and campground where tales of UFO sightings have been reported. Located below the platform is a "healing garden" where visitors leave objects to hopefully receive some sort of healing. The garden has "three vortexes that several psychics say are in her front yard. The vortexes are guarded by two invisible beings. You can feel the power when you move close. Larry the supper nice owner and his informative trusty ex military assistant Lee and his rescued Lab Rats regale us with UFO stories. There have been many sightings here and when you climb the watchtower you can see why. The tiny indoor museum houses the remains and story of the mutilation and death of 'Snippy' the horse in 1967 which gained headlines due to unusual circumstances. The head was stripped bare to the bone. The precision cuts on the flank could not have come from a coyote or even a pack of them. A strong chemical smell akin to acetone lingered in the air. Indications of an aircraft landing on the terrain featured "circular exhaust marks", "squashed bushes", and circular indentations in the dirt. A geiger counter alleged reported high radiation counts around the exhaust marks and flattened bushes. Beginning in the 1970s, the US experienced waves of cattle mutilations which were likened to Snippy's death.Mutilation investigator Linda Moulton Howe revisited the Snippy case, interviewing witnesses for her 1989 book An Alien Harvest. A must for UFO fans and roadside attractions and the small entrance fee is worth it. Ask lots of questions and you will get lots of interesting answers.

    Brad M.

    Kitchy little spot outside Great Sand Dunes NP. Neat little alien sculptures and satellite dishes, with other items guests have left over the years. No staff or other customers present when we were there - we paid our fee via the dropbox and wandered around talking pictures. Fun little roadside stop to break up the long drive.

    The vortex garden
    Rick P.

    Ok let the quirkiness begin. Place is a must stop on the tour of Colorado. Has a horse skeleton of a first horse mutilation. The alien and vortex garden It is something see. You got to stop.

    Sarah A.

    This was not my favorite stop. The longer I was there the worse I felt. I don't know what has happened on that site but there is some bad energy happening. Once we left it took about 30 minutes driving away from it to reset and feel better. The person in the welcome center was nice and gave us history of the site and the horse remains in the museum. This was just my experience. If you are a UFO enthusiast, this would be a good place for you to visit.

    Scott M.

    Stumbled across this on the way to a nearby national park, and to be honest I'm not sure wtf is going on at this place, but there are a few things that I learned while there. There's camping. It's a dark sky area for all you stargazers out there. It's got a super-oddball collection of random articles that have been left by travelers before you and that form a somewhat kooky art installation. Feel free to leave something of your own. It's 2 bucks per person, or 5 bucks per car, it appears to be on the honor system, and you put cash into a box connected to the only building. Some real crazy shit ya'll. Stop and check it out.

    Steve M.

    This was a fun stop! We chatted with Judy and learned the history of the place. Toured the grounds and geeked out on all the UFO/alien/whatever "stuff". We managed to load up on a few items from the gift shop. Great fun, we'd highly recommend if you're chill. Uptight need not apply!

    Joshua D.

    Look, this is not to be confused with a big company looking for your money. Clearly, the $2 visit is just to maintain the property... and boy is it worth it! Just like the other reviews, this is a place to see if you're passing through. Spend 5 minutes or an hour and you'll leave with a smile on your face:) Don't forget to leave something for good luck!

    Rachel C.

    So I heard about this place years ago from a vice report, and it's been on my bucket list ever since. We camped here for a night, in order to check out the sand dunes (just 20 minutes away) and the gator farm (just less than 10 minutes away). It was like $15 to camp here for the night, and the watch tower was a great place to be at sunset. It's definitely a fun and unique place to check out, and there was plenty of space between our camping spot and the three other groups that were also staying there.

    Luke M.

    Amazing dark sky place surrounded by mountains in Colorado. Very dark skies. There's a gator farm nearby that's interesting, and the little city of Alamosa about 30 minutes away. This place is worth an overnight.

    Alien offerings
    Ken R.

    Spent the night camping there, it was a great night to see the stars but that was all. The camp sites have a place for a fire also they pipe in propane for a small grill set up they have. Being in the middle of a field there were cows, horses and a lot of mosquitos. Gift shop was interesting And after a walk through the garden I think "they" will be happy with all the offerings. A great fun place to visit and take pics with "them"

    Jody I.

    Fun, kooky, eclectic, worth getting out of the car to stretch your legs on the way to the way to the Sand Dunes. Cost $5.00 for 4 of us, fun to see everything people have left for the Aliens. This isn't a Disney exhibit, but fun for 30 minutes to get out of the car. Views are amazing

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    3 years ago

    Very fun and unique roadside attraction! Worth the stop if in the area. Owners are super sweet!

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    5 years ago

    Love this place, very fun looking for UFOs and camped there overnight!!!

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    Ask the Community - UFO Watchtower

    Review Highlights - UFO Watchtower

    There's a gator farm nearby that's interesting, and the little city of Alamosa about 30 minutes away.

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    Purgatoire Campground - Site 4

    Purgatoire Campground

    5.0(1 review)
    72.6 mi

    This weekend we decided to venture in to the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the…read moreSan Isabel National Forest to enjoy the wildflowers and try our hand at fishing. The headwaters of the rainbow trout-stocked Purgatoire River run through Purgatoire Campground and we were lucky enough to pitch our tents just a few paces from it this weekend; the crashing and tumbling water providing a surprisingly perfect "white noise" each night for slumber. The area surrounding the river is absolutely stunning with wildflowers and dense aspen and conifer growth everywhere. And, as is usually the case, it isn't until after we experience a place such as this that I become curious about its history. This weekend was no exception. Just 30 minutes of research this morning revealed an intriguing irony: the attraction and abundant life that characterizes the Purgatoire River is shrouded in historical mystery, hardship, and death: "It was once thought that Spanish explorers, namely a party led by Francisco Leyva de Bonilla in 1593, were the first to visit the Purgatoire River in the sixteenth century. An attack by Native Americans killed all but one of the Bonilla party at some point after it left New Mexico and reached the Great Plains. The attack was initially thought to have occurred on the Purgatoire; the river was so named because of the unblessed Catholic souls that were allegedly sent to el purgatorio--purgatory--along its banks. The name stuck (its current version is French), but the river may be named for the souls of men who never reached it--the location of the Bonilla expedition's demise remains uncertain." (Ref: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/las-animas-county) At any rate, it is well worth the 2-1/2 hour drive from Colorado Springs to visit this alluring area and imagine what it was like before paved roads, iPhones, and grocery stores. To get there: Purgatoire Campground GPS coordinates are: (Latitude, Longitude): 37.2525, -105.10917 37°15'9"N, 105°6'33"W From La Veta, Colorado, take State Route 12 south for 25.3 miles to Purgatoire campground sign. Turn right onto gravel Route 34. Go 0.2 miles to "T" intersection. Turn right and drive 4 miles on rough gravel road to campground. The campground is very clean and monitored by camp hosts, Helga and Larry. I recommend Site 4, in particular, because it sits on the river and is sandwiched in between just one other campsite to the right and open space and the 5-mile North Fork Trail trailhead to the left.

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    Purgatoire Campground
    Purgatoire Campground
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    UFO Watchtower - campgrounds - Updated August 2026

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