Would Your Family Enjoy Living in Southern Colorado’s High San Luis Valley?
The high mountain San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado is an unknown Shangri-la for family activities.
Colorado’s San Luis Valley is a secret hideaway that exists only for those who seek it. It is an alpine valley that covers ground in Colorado and New Mexico. It is elevated at 7500 feet and is located on top of the Rio Grande Rift. The Rio Grande River drains the mountains.
The valley itself is 74 miles wide and 122 miles long. There are six Colorado counties that are considered part of the San Luis Valley. These are: Saguache, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Conejos, Costilla and Mineral.
There are many towns to choose from if you are thinking of moving to the San Luis Valley region. Some of the main towns are listed below but there are also many much smaller towns if you prefer the secluded life: Alamosa, South Fork, Saguache Center, Fort Garland, San Luis, La Jara, Capulin, Crestone, Villa Grove, and San Acacio.
There is about 2,000,000 acres of land in the San Luis Valley and half of this is privately owned. There are many small ranch lots and subdivisions on the private land. There are also several wildlife reserves and nature preserves in the area.
The Great Sands Dunes National Park and Preserve is a major attraction in this region and attracts many tourists every year. The sand dunes can rise up to 750 meters from the ground and take up an area of 40 square miles.
As to weather, the valley received less than 8 inches of rain per year, putting into the desert category. Despite this there are some truly lush wilderness areas that are treasured by the locals as nature and wildlife preserves.
San Luis Valley become famous through the book The Mysterious Valley published by paranormal researcher Chris O’Brien in 1996. The book talks about UFO sightings, Bigfoot sightings, weird noises and other strange phenomenon that the author claims to have seen in the area. There is however no such scientific evidence supporting his claims but it certainly does add an air of mystique and adventure to the area.
What else does San Luis Valley have going for it for new residents? Well, it is one of the best ski areas in the world, offers some great elk hunting, and to top it off – very affordable housing. There are land acres selling on eBay for $45,000 for a massive 40 acre lot.