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San Luis Valley
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 Looking toward Del Norte Peak and the San Juans (from the Como Lake Road) over the Blanca Wetlands Recreation Management Area (BLM), Alamosa and Monte Vista  Looking west on the Valley floor, just west of Blanca |
In the distance, an elk's bugling pierces the silence. Rising to 14,345', Mt. Blanca can clearly be seen for miles on a typical sunny day. The clear air, the blue sky... Unbelievable! Spanning 8,000 square miles, the San Luis Valley is the world's largest alpine valley. The average altitude is 7,500 feet. Everywhere you go here, majestic mountains surround the many attractions and provide the ultimate environment for the outdoor enthusiast. With attractions like the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Alamosa, Monte Vista and Baca National Wildlife Refuges, the Gold Medal fishing waters of the Rio Grande, Penitente Canyon, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Narrow Gauge Railroad, and numerous natural hot springs (including the Colorado Gator Farm), San Luis Valley has a bit of something for everyone. The San Luis Valley sits atop the Rio Grande Rift, a split in the crust of the Earth where the sides are pulling away from each other. If the Valley floor were excavated, bedrock would be down about 30,000 feet, making the actual bottom of the Valley close to 4 miles below sea level. Over millenia, the mountains surrounding the Valley have eroded away, filling in the hole with rock, sand and earth. Quite a few streams flow into the Valley, only to sink into the ground before they go very far. The only surface water to leave the Valley is the Rio Grande itself, flowing to the south along the crack named for it. There is a huge water aquifer under the valley and, below a certain depth, all of it is hot. |
 The La Garita Church (notice the cross on top)  Looking across the Valley, San Luis Lakes State Park in the middle  The Sangre de Cristo Mountains border the Valley on the east  The Rio Grande, west of San Luis  The San Luis Hills, east of Manassa  Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area  US 285 south of Saguache  The Cochetopa Hills |
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Related Links: Crestone - Moffat - Villa Grove - Saguache - Fort Garland - Blanca - San Luis Alamosa - Mosca - Hooper - Monte Vista - Del Norte - Antonito - Zapata Falls Rio Grande National Forest - Great Sand Dunes National Park - San Luis Lakes Alamosa County - Conejos County - Costilla County - Rio Grande County - Saguache County Area Maps - Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway - Russell Lakes SWA La Garita Natural Arch - Penitente Canyon Panoramic Photos: Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the San Luis Valley Colorado Links: Towns & Places - Scenic Byways - State Parks - Mountains - History & Heritage Unique Natural Features - Photo Galleries - Outdoor Sports & Recreation Colorado's National Forests - BLM Sites - Colorado's National Parks |
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