Why You Should Visit
Imagine seeing thousands of acres of meadows, wetlands, sand dunes and cottonwood groves set against majestic 14,000-foot mountain peaks.

Imagine exploring a stone-age bison-kill site, a prehistoric Native American camp and a historic cattle ranch (still in operation) - all in one place.

If those prospects don't intrigue you, how about walking amidst sand dunes that soar 700 feet into the air?

The San Luis Valley harbors the Great Sand Dunes National Park and constitutes the most biologically significant landscape of its size in Colorado. Wetland ponds can be found among these huge dunes.

This preserve lies within a vast, high-elevation (7,500-foot) basin flanked by not one but two impressive mountain ranges: the San Juans and Sangre de Cristos. Elk share the landscape with a resident bison herd.

How to Visit
There are a couple of ways to see the ranch:

-join a guided ranch tour, or
-enjoy the 1-mile-long hiking trail through cottonwood groves and wetlands to mountain views and plentiful wildlife viewing.

Things To Do
The 1-mile scenic trail is open March-October, dawn to dusk.

Plan Your Visit
If you're scheduled to visit during the summer, dress for extreme heat, pack bug repellent and bring plenty of water. The preserve is best seen via automobile, stopping for short walks along the way. Expect to see both cattle and bison grazing on the Zapata Ranch.

Directions
From Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, & Colorado Springs:

-Drive south on Interstate Highway I-25 past Pueblo to Walsenburg.
-At Walsenburg head west (right) on Highway 160.
-Pass over La Veta Pass and through the towns of Ft. Garland and Blanca.
-At Highway 150 turn north (right) toward the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
-Drive north on Highway 150 just past mile marker 12 on the left
-The Zapata Ranch is surrounded by a large grove of cottonwood trees on the west (left) side of the road.

It takes approximately 4.5 hours from Boulder, 4 to 4.5 hours from Denver, about 5 hours from Fort Collins and 2.5 to 3 hours from Colorado Springs.