Alamosa Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Great Sand Dunes National Park showing desert views and a sunset as well as a couple
Alamosa
Alamosa featuring signage
Del Norte showing signage
Great Sand Dunes National Park which includes desert views and landscape views as well as a couple

Located just outside the natural beauty of Great Sand Dunes National Park, this small city makes a great base to explore Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

Alamosa is the commercial and tourism hub of Colorado’s San Luis Valley, nestled between mountains and deserts. Experience some of the state’s most beautiful wilderness from this bustling city.

Alamosa is Spanish for “of cottonwood.” Admire these beautiful trees throughout the town and lining the shores of the Rio Grande River that snakes through the region.

In the 1870s, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad brought commerce and a huge population increase to the area. The San Luis Valley History Museum presents the valley’s past, from its original Native American inhabitants and European settlement up until the late 19th century.

Alamosa is home to Adams State University, a small liberal arts college with about 3,500 students. Explore regional art and artefacts at the Luther Bean Museum, located in Richardson Hall on the university’s campus. See Native American pottery, weavings and other pieces of art.

Stop downtown at Firedworks Gallery, a local institution. Whether you are there to shop or just to browse, this contemporary art gallery has a wide variety of pieces on display and is well worth a visit.

Great Sand Dunes National Park is the San Luis Valley’s biggest attraction. Located just 34 miles (54.7 kilometres) outside Alamosa, this park is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America. Go hiking, beach sledding and camping.

See the region’s wildlife at Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. This protected area largely consists of wetlands. Take the short hiking trail to look for birds, deer, coyotes and beavers.

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a popular bird sanctuary a 25-minute drive from downtown Alamosa. Trails and roads wind through the park. Each spring, visitors flock to the refuge to see scores of migrating sandhill cranes that stop here in their annual trip north.

As primarily desert region, the San Luis Valley gets little precipitation. Temperatures are rarely uncomfortably hot during the summer and it can get very cold a night. Rent a car to get around Alamosa and its surrounds with ease.

Quality Inn Alamosa

Quality Inn Alamosa

2.5 out of 5
333 Santa Fe Avenue, Alamosa, CO
The price is ฿2,902 per night from 24 Aug to 25 Aug
฿2,902
฿3,247 total
24 Aug - 25 Aug
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this family-friendly hotel in Alamosa. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in ...
7/10 Good! (378 reviews)
Comfort Inn: Like A Comfortable Old Shoe
"The Comfort Inn is convenient for travelers heading to the Great Sand Dunes or the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway. It’s been around for years. I wasn’t that thrilled with the food, but that wasn’t why I stopped there, the breakfast buffet was blah."

Reviewed on 13 Aug 2025

Quality Inn Alamosa
Comfort Inn & Suites Alamosa

Comfort Inn & Suites Alamosa

2.5 out of 5
6301 US HWY 160, Alamosa, CO
The price is ฿3,571 per night from 1 Sept to 2 Sept
฿3,571
฿4,085 total
1 Sept - 2 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this family-friendly hotel in Alamosa. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in their ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,001 reviews)
"We enjoyed our stay. Staff was helpful and friendly. Good breakfast. Clean and comfortable rooms"

Reviewed on 19 Aug 2025

Comfort Inn & Suites Alamosa
Dunes Inn

Dunes Inn

2.5 out of 5
425 Main St, Alamosa, CO
The price is ฿2,898 per night from 31 Aug to 1 Sept
฿2,898
฿3,316 total
31 Aug - 1 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Alamosa. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,008 reviews)
"This is perhaps the most up-to-date motel I've ever stayed in. And the café next door that handles the free breakfast is a delicious touch."

Reviewed on 16 Aug 2025

Dunes Inn
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Rustic Rook Resort Great Sand Dunes

Rustic Rook Resort Great Sand Dunes

2 out of 5
13254 Lane 5 N, Mosca, CO
Stay at this campsite in Mosca. Enjoy free parking, breakfast (surcharge) and a picnic area. Popular attractions San Luis State Wildlife Area and Colorado Gators ...
9/10 Wonderful! (145 reviews)
"Great"

Reviewed on 21 Aug 2025

Rustic Rook Resort Great Sand Dunes
Grandview Cabins & RV Resort

Grandview Cabins & RV Resort

3 out of 5
0613 Highway 149, South Fork, CO
Stay at this 3-star cabin in South Fork. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and free bicycles on-site. Popular attractions Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (208 reviews)
Very clean rustic cabin
"Wonderful hosts, cabin with much charm, rustic, very clean Great time"

Reviewed on 8 Aug 2025

Grandview Cabins & RV Resort
Riverside Meadows Cabins

Riverside Meadows Cabins

3 out of 5
2 Dodge City Road, South Fork, CO
Stay at this 3-star cabin in South Fork. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a 24-hour front desk. Popular attractions Wolf Creek Anglers and Rio Grande Club ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (197 reviews)
"This property is great, right on the river, very quiet and quaint. The hosts are great, we will return!"

Reviewed on 23 Jul 2025

Riverside Meadows Cabins
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Cities near Alamosa