Alamosa
Type of Area
Small City
State
CO
Address
Timezone
MST
Elevation
7,543 ft (2,299 m)
Population (Est.)
9,906 (2024)
Nickname
Gateway to the Great Sand Dunes
Key Features
Elevation
7,543 ft (2,299 m)
Population (Est.)
9,906 (2024)
Nickname
Gateway to the Great Sand Dunes
Best Seasons to Visit
Late May - Early October (the days are warm, the nights cool, and there's minimal snow)
Overview
You land in high-desert Alamosa, 7,500 ft up in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, where limitless space meets 750-foot dunes, soothing hot springs, 14,000-foot peaks, dark skies, sandhill crane migrations, quirky gators, a UFO Watchtower, Rio Grande paddling, and a downtown alive with local eats, art, and railroad history.
Getting Around
Getting Around
Alamosa sits at the junction of U.S. Highways 160 and 285 and getting around is a breeze. Daily Denver Air hops link DIA to San Luis Valley Regional, you can grab Quest or Turo cars, ride Bustang or Valleybound buses, call Uber, and/or walk the six-block core.
History & Culture
History & Culture
In Alamosa you trace 11,000 years from Clovis hunters to Spanish land grants, pass Zebulon Pike's 1807 dune view, and an 1878 rail town rising by the Rio Grande. Today, you can stroll art shows, Ice Fest, and rodeos, savor 50 local eateries, then break for dunes, falls, wildlife refuges, and wide potato fields, starry sky!
Local Tips
Local Tips
Alamosa is dry with warm summers. At 7,500 feet, nights cool and days warm fast. Dress accordingly. Sands at Great Sand Dunes are hot, protect your pet’s feet. Winter brings dune snowshoeing, Audubon’s Christmas bird event, frozen Zapata Falls, and Nordic skiing on Big Meadows Ski Trail.