I’ve had the Great Sand Dunes on my bucket list for a while since moving to Colorado. Since becoming a National Park junkie, I’ve started to pay more attention to locations and hotel prices. However, after camping a few weekends in Rocky Mountain National Park, my sister and I developed a system for camping. I decided that we were ready enough to take an extended trip completely tent camping! I also took a leap of faith and got us campsites at Kampgrounds of America [KOA]. We stayed at the KOA in Cripple Creek and Alamosa, CO. This post will give my review, feedback, and tips to plan a camping trip to see the Great Sand Dunes!
Cripple Creek
I’ll start this section off by saying, I had done ZERO research on Cripple Creek. Being as candid as I can be, the KOA is very nice, but the area in which it is located has NOTHING to do. I had secured two nights at the Alamosa KOA and was looking for another spot for us to stay when I booked Cripple Creek KOA on a whim. Now, I had seen that is a stone’s throw away from Pikes Peak, but the Cog Train was booked, and I didn’t feel like screwing my brakes up descending the peak. Pikes Peak is the only reason why I would even consider booking anything at Cripple Creek KOA in the future.
Cripple Creek is very close to Pikes Peak but due to how roads run through mountains, it is still a good one hour and 45-minute drive to the peak. That is still not a bad drive at all. This small town used to be a booming mining town when miners and prospectors scoured the Pikes Peak area. While most mining towns seem to have lost their mining roots, Cripple Creek still has a large active mine. Not only is it active but it is a gold mine! Today, as I found out too late, the town itself is a casino land for “wiser” people (I’m being nice, it’s an old person’s casino vacation town).
Day 1
My sister and I arrived around dinner time at the Cripple Creek KOA. KOA does not let you choose a specific spot on the website. I have not tried booking through the phone. We were assigned site 94 which included an electric outlet, so we didn’t have to worry about relying on power banks for the extended weekend. I would say that the only downside to these campsites is how close they are to each other. There are no barriers or fences between each site. You know what your neighbors are doing, and they know what you are doing. You will probably be kept up or woken up early due to the general noise made. As I’m checking us in, Colorado weather decides to hail. After an hour of waiting in our car, a clear spot came through and we were able to set up our tent. By then it was 7pm and we decided to go ahead and buy a pizza from the KOA kitchen. We were exhausted! The pizza is from Hunt Bros and was delicious. Worth the $10 – especially since we didn’t have to bother with a campfire. The kitchen is open 4-7PM every day.
One thing my sister and I started this summer was watching Harry Potter movies to bed. This evening, we watched Chamber of Secrets. To add to the fun of watching the movie, we even bought some themed treats to eat. We had a chocolate frog, a chocolate Hogwarts Express ticket, and a chocolate snitch as well as some butterbeer-flavored gummies.
Day 2
In the morning, I decided to take a shower. The most valuable thing about staying at a KOA is the ability to take a shower! The showers at Cripple Creek KOA are top-tier! It is a tight area, but fully enclosed space that has a shower area with tile and an area to change clothes. The showers are in the main building where you checked in. There is a hallway where each of the shower doors opens to and at the end of the hallway are the doors to the men’s and women’s bathrooms. I really liked that there were four showers with no gender assignment so anyone could use any shower at any time. I had shown up at 7AM and saw all four were open so I ran to the bathroom really quick. When I was done, only one shower was left open!
After a great shower and feeling refreshed, I dropped my items off at the campsite and went back to the main building for pancakes! Yes, for $4, you can get a yummy pancake breakfast with maple syrup and butter and even a cup of juice or coffee! Pancakes are served every day and is very convenient since there is nothing being offered in town for breakfast. Breakfast is served from 8:30-9:30AM.
Once we were ready for the day, we started out exploring Downtown Cripple Creek. This was where I learned quickly that there is nothing to do in Cripple Creek if you are not wanting to throw money awake gambling (hot take – I know). We walked around for 30 minutes and there were three stores out of the whole stretch of road that have “souvenirs.” It was just cheap crap that I tried to persuade myself to buy just to get a souvenir and couldn’t do it.
Once we had enough, we decided to drive around the area of Cripple Creek and Victor. It was nice to see various mountain scenery. There are some amazing views but for the most part, it was ok. After reaching Victor, we decided to circle back to the KOA. As we left town there were cows that had gotten out of their fenced area. Once just stared at us in my car trying to decide if we were ok or not. There was another that had decent horns that I hoped just minded its own business.
I really tried to find as much as could for us to do but I decided to wave the white flag. Once we got back, we just laid down and did our own thing for a few hours. Dinner time rolled around, and I was able to get firewood ordered to be delivered to the campsite. One thing I’ve found crucial to creating a great campfire is having a great fire starter. I personally like to use a fire starter that can burn long. Keep heat and allow smaller pieces to catch easier. I also have a nice tip to cook your hotdogs by using the campfire grill to rest your campfire stick on. This way you can cook your hotdog and still be able to multi-task.
It was after dinner that I ran to the bathroom in the main building. When I left the back entrance, I noticed a hummingbird feeder with about 4-5 hummingbirds buzzing around it! It was such a fun experience to see so many and be able to get some cool pictures as well!
Bear Basin Ranch (Day 3)
I also wanted to take advantage of the stunning mountain range by taking a horseback trail. Originally, I wanted something near Great Sand Dunes, but the options are very limited. Through research, I stumbled onto Bear Basin Ranch. This has to be my top 5 trail rides ever! Between the gorgeous and breathtaking scenery and the great people at Bear Basin Ranch, it was a great time that gave me wonderful memories. You can see my full review here.
Alamosa / Great Sand Dunes
At first, I questioned the distance from the Alamosa KOA to the Great Sand Dunes, but due to my late planning, it was the only option left to book. I don’t regret that decision at all. I came to love the location. It is 10 minutes away from Downtown Alamosa and 30 minutes travel time to the Great Sand Dunes.
Day 3
After the horseback ride at Bear Basin Ranch, we continued to Alamosa. Because we came from Westcliffe, we came to the San Juan Valley from the east on HW 160. Once we got to the Alamosa KOA, we set up our tent. Our assigned campsite was T2 and included an electric outlet. The sites here are still packed together but these tent sites at least have a fence to give you some visual privacy. You’ll still hear your neighbors make general noise. There is also a kitchen that serves dinner.
It was only 4PM so we decided to go ahead and scope out Great Sand Dunes. We made it just in time to take a quick peek at the gift shop before it closed. We ended up getting a T-shirt each and I was able to scope out pins and patches. Since we were going to hike the next day, we decided to head back to camp. However, on the way back, about 10 minutes south on HW 150, I spotted a sign for Zapata Falls. I turned onto the road and followed it up the side of the mountain.
At the top of the road, we got to the parking area for the Zapata Falls trailhead and a mind-boggling view of the Great Sand Dunes! It was unreal how “great” the dunes are by seeing how large and how much acreage it takes up. We then proceeded to climb and hike the trail up to Zapata Falls. The falls are cute but aren’t too impressive. If you are wanting a little challenge with a steep grade and rocky terrain, this one is for you!
Cooking at this site was a challenge. The fire pit is a ring of shoe-sized rocks. I had to buy more firewood and was able to structure the firewood to hold my 12” cast iron skillet. Tonight’s menu was “unwich” hamburgers (I may have worked for Jimmy John’s in college). I used my cast iron to cook the burgers and even lined the bottom of my 8” cast iron skillet with foil and used it as a hamburger press! Delicious! I do love onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard on my burger.
Tonight’s movie was Goblet of Fire. Complimented with my chocolate snitch – in honor of the quidditch world cup – and a homemade butterbeer (cream soda & butterscotch syrup topped with whip cream).
Day 4
My only “real” disappointment with the Alamosa KOA is that they only have a pancake breakfast on the weekends or holidays. Just this day was a Monday and tomorrow would be the 4th, there were no pancakes to enjoy this morning.
We set out at 10:30 and got to the main parking lot by 11AM. We lucked out that someone was backing out at the right time, but it was packed! I highly recommend getting there before 9:30AM. We started to set out to High Dune when we were attacked by vicious mosquitos! We had to retreat to the car and spray ourselves with bug spray. This is where I will also mention SUNSCREEN! There is ZERO shade at the Great Sand Dunes. Wear sunscreen and a hat. Bring water!
With tons of determination, a lot of “fun” words, and many breaks, we made it to the top of High Dune. It was hard, and it hurt, but it made us stronger. Wear tennis shoes. I was shocked by how many people wore Crocs or sandals. What many learned quickly is how hot the sand is. I can not walk in the sand barefoot. You will blister your feet from the heat! You can also rent sand sleds at various places nearby and slide down the dunes if you’d like. My sister and I were too tired to do that after hiking the High Dune.
I do recommend hiking this as the views are beautiful and stunning. The sense of pride and accomplishment feels amazing! I even treated myself to a KitKat at the top. It might have been half melted but chocolate is chocolate!
We treated ourselves to a great meal at the Alamosa Chili’s. My sangria-margarita never tasted so good! I also got some delicious ribs and finger-licking crispy chicken tenders. We went back to the KOA and I thoroughly enjoyed cooling off in the pool! Needless to say, we were too tired for a campfire that night and we had leftovers from our late lunch that we had to eat anyway.
Day 5
I am happy to say that since 4th of July is a holiday, the Alamosa KOA served up a pancake breakfast. The cherry on top? For $6, you get unlimited pancakes! What a deal? I am also pleased to report that the pancakes are delicious and served with butter and a side of sausage and eggs! I couldn’t help but enjoy drizzling yummy maple syrup all over my pancakes!
Now, since it was the last day, we did have to drive back home. I had two options. Either cut across east and take I-25 back or cut up north through the mountains to then cut over east on HW 285. I can’t ever get enough of the mountains, so I decided to go north.
We even got to drive through Fairplay, the town that is widely thought to have inspired the famous adult animated show, South Park. Driving through you’ll see signs for South Park everything from breweries to recreation centers. Fairplay certainly has embraced the rumors with open arms!
Conclusion
The Great Sand Dunes is absolutely a national park worth checking out! I hope this post inspires you to do an extended weekend camping trip and gives you some ideas as to how to tackle travel, lodging, and food. Want to see what camping essentials I have? Click here. Want to learn more about my Great Sand Dunes experience? Click here. Read my full Bear Basin Ranch review here. Have you visited the Great Sand Dunes? What fun camping trips have you done? Comment below and have a great day!
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