I’m a Colorado native. Well, essentially.
By default, I was born in New Mexico while my parents were traveling back to Colorado. My parents thought I was just gas pains as they traveled toward the southern border town of Trinidad. Well, it turns out I was more than just gas!
My mother and biological father met in Trinidad, both children of long-time area ranchers and businessmen.
Trinidad was a charming community where neighbors knew each other, and local diners allowed guests to run their tabs until the next week. If you’d lost your way downtown, you’d know you were on Main Street or Commercial Street by gazing at red bricks beneath your feet stamped Trinidad.
Trinidad Catholic Church bells rang daily throughout downtown. Traffic stopped for jaywalkers. Smiles and waves were plentiful. Neighbors were neighborly, kind, and considerate. Everyone kept to themselves and minded their own business.
As a child, I recall the magic of watching the Fourth of July fireworks explode over Trinidad Lake State Park as I sat on a blanket with my grandparents in the back of their truck.
Before I could finish elementary school in Trinidad, my family moved to Aspen, Durango, then finally Greeley, Colorado, taking me on many adventures across our beautiful state. Our great state will always hold my heart captive.
After high school, I returned to Trinidad to attend the criminal justice program, which had developed a great reputation throughout Colorado. TSJC was home to one of the top JUCO baseball programs in the country and perhaps the best program in the state of Colorado for somewhere near five years running. Trinidad Junior College also had a gunsmithing program. While I attended college in the early 90s, the school was blooming and booming.
In 2018, just 4 years after the recreational legalization of marijuana, High Times magazine called Trinidad “Weed Town USA” with 23 licensed retail marijuana dispensaries serving fewer than 10,000 residents. The area’s tourist industry was abruptly replaced by litter, homeless camps, filth,= and crime.
Trinidad’s charm had quickly diminished with the legalization of marijuana — a shameful end to a beautiful, historic town.
That being recognized, let’s not forget the adventures, history and culture awaiting tourists in other parts of Southern Colorado. It’s full of mystical gems often lost to the call of the Rocky Mountains and more traveled terrain.
Southern Colorado is home to some of the oldest and richest history in our beautiful state. Filled with Native American and Hispanic influence, many of the Southern Colorado towns’ names derived from ethnic influence. With the influx of new Colorado residents in the last decade, many residents may not know what Southern Colorado has to offer.
While airfare and other travel costs continue to soar, many are taking to the road for local excursions to cure their insatiable craving for adventure. Road trip destinations mean staying closer to home, perhaps due to the recent and dramatic increases in the cost of gas, food, and lodging.
So here it is: Stacy’s Favorite Unforgettable Forgotten Southern Colorado Locations and Attractions.
Surrounded by the staggering peaks of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish for “blood of Christ”), these mountains make up the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains.
San Luis is in one of the world’s highest deserts and is the oldest Colorado town, established in 1851. The Shrine of the Stations of the Cross is perched in the center of town high atop a mesa. The last time I visited, entrance was free, but donations were appreciated. Walking along the trail to the shrine, there is a series of 15 bronze statues that intricately depict the last hours of the life of Jesus Christ with the last representing His resurrection. You don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate the craftsmanship and history of this visit.
Save the La Veta Pass for a late summer or early fall destination and enjoy the tranquil drive while admiring the colors Colorado gifts its residents and visitors.
While traveling the Highway of Legends from Walsenburg to La Veta then on to Cuchara, plan a stop at The Dog Bar & Grill. Enjoy drinks, a good lunch, and spectacular scenery. You may pull up just in time to catch a local band.
Another option on your drive is The Stokehouse restaurant in Walsenburg, “a tribute to the resilience and spirit of Walsenburg,” with good food, live music, excellent service and a relaxing atmosphere.
Alamosa Great Sand Dune National Park covers 240 square miles of the tallest dunes in North America. In college, when we visited the dunes, my friends and I would destroy a snowboard riding it down the dunes. We would spray round snow sleds with cooking spray and prayerfully race down the giant sand mountains. Collisions were plentiful.
If you choose to indulge in this experience, be sure to wear goggles, keep your mouth shut upon impact and shake your clothes. Otherwise, humble adventurer, you’re sure to receive a mouthful — or underwear-full — of sand.
Motorized vehicles are not permitted on the dunes. Alternative recreation includes cycling, hiking, climbing, running, camping, sandboarding or stargazing to your heart’s content while enjoying the grandiose views found in the Mystic San Luis Valley.
Just a short jaunt 17 miles north of Alamosa on Highway 17, you’ll find Colorado Gators. Colorado Gators Reptile Rescue & Education is an outdoor experience and home to 300 outdoor gators, including three of the 200 albino gators in captivity worldwide and two 10-foot Nile crocodiles. This experience is sure not to disappoint and includes free fishing and photos while holding a baby alligator. Say hi to Matt while you’re there.
While in the area, do not miss the hike just short of a mile round trip to Zapata Falls. This hike is rated easy, and there is no admission fee. The Falls are tucked away inside a cave, and they offer 360 degrees of amazing photo opportunities. They’re truly a hidden gem and rated a “must-see” by many visitors.
Summer in Buena Vista (Spanish for beautiful views) is breathtaking. The river is clean and high and perfect for rafting or kayaking through another of Colorado’s great playgrounds. While visiting, be sure to walk through the art district in Salida and stop at The Boathouse to have a beer or a burger, get a seat overlooking the river, and watch the swimmers and the kayakers frolic below.
Nathrop might be my favorite Colorado summer destination. Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort boasts a water park in the summer for children, hot springs in the river, an adult pool, a spa and fantastic amenities for families with different destination palettes to please. Mount Princeton Hot Springs pool has always been clean and well-maintained. A family can stay and play or use the pools for recreation and showers as they camp along the river and enjoy the area.
While you’re in the area, drive the 20 minutes from Mt. Princeton to St. Elmo’s. The children will love feeding the chipmunks by hand with the food sold at the local general store.
If you have off-highway vehicles (OHV), don’t miss Tin Cup Pass Loop for some summer riding. If you don’t have an OHV but seek a real treat for your family, rent a side-by-side in Buena Vista. Be sure to reserve ahead of time as this area is Colorado’s OHV playground. Once you have your OHV, grab a burger and a piece of homemade pie a la mode in Tin Cup, Colorado.
Be sure to take fishing poles for the littles to keep busy in the pond at the cafe while you relax and enjoy the mountain air. At an elevation of over 10,000 feet, it tends to offer a cooler option for vacationers.
Whatever you do, DO NOT MISS Bishop’s Castle — one man’s dream, built from the ground up stone by stone, proving anything is possible if you put your mind, body, and spirit into it.
Jim Bishop, architect and owner of Bishop’s Castle, started erecting the castle in 1969. Originally intended to be a family cottage, it has become one of Colorado’s most impressive monuments. Constructed of stone and iron, Jim’s body shows signs of his labor, twisted like the iron he has placed throughout the years.
The impressive castle is three stories high and full of interior rooms, soaring bridges and towers with views for a hundred miles. The hand-built stone monument even hosts a grand ballroom. There is no entry fee, so make sure to leave a generous donation to this one man’s labor of love.
The Ludlow Massacre Memorial just off of I-25 just north of Trinidad commemorates the mass killing of miners striking against poor labor conditions on April 20, 1914. During the Colorado Coalfield War, anti-striker militia soldiers from the Colorado National Guard and private guards from Colorado Fuel and Iron Company attacked a tent colony of about 1,200 striking coal miners and their families. Roughly 21 people, including miners, and their wives and children, were killed.
This was one of the worst massacres on American soil orchestrated by unscrupulous members of the American government against its citizens.
After listing just my favorite spots in Southern Colorado, I realize there are so many more gems to discover. Southern Colorado is often left behind and less discovered than its booming northern and mountain cousins.
While trails are less trampled, restaurants are less visited, roads less traveled, accommodations are cheaper, the amenities are less expensive and some attractions are free. This summer, consider loading the family and pointing your vehicle south. Prepare to fall in love with The Unforgettable Forgotten Southern Colorado.
— Stacy McCloud is a Greeley resident who has experience hunting across the world. She hopes sharing her stories will inspire children, especially girls, to get outside and try archery. Visit her blog at www.beautyinthebeasts.net. Contact her for information for Northern Colorado shooting sports at Beautyinthebeasts.stacy@gmail.com or on Instagram: @skingirl.
