5 Acres Land For Sale in San Luis, Colorado About 1 Hour N of Taos, New Mexico by Alamosa.
About 2.75 Miles From the Rio Grande River and 3.5 Hours SW of Denver in Southern Colorado
Undeveloped Real Estate Nestled High in the San Luis Valley in the Rocky Mountains in Costilla County
Private Area With Wild Horses Roaming - Pretty Setting for an Off Grid Homestead!
Call Char Mon - Sun 360-550-8943
Land Wholesalers - We Own Everything We Have For Sale!
90 Days Same As Cash Owner Financing With $100 Down and No Credit Checks.
Rio Grande Ranchos Unit 8 Block 0 Lot 35
5 acres of land in San Luis, Colorado about 2.75 miles from the Rio Grande and 3.5 hours SW of Denver. It’s a beautiful setting with wild horses roaming and fabulous views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the San Juan Mountains and Ute Mountains in New Mexico. Nestled high in the Rocky Mountains the busy town of Alamosa, CO is about an hour north and Taos, NM, known for its world class skiing and artists, is about an hour south.
All of the photos were taken of about 1.25 mile south of the property in March 2013 which is the closest I’ve been. I believe you can see this property in images 1, 25, 26 and 58 which are looking north towards Blanca Peak. The image numbers are at the top of the images.
The area is mostly flat with a gentle roll and there’s scattered grass and low vegetation spread about. It was an easy drive to the area along graveled/dirt county maintained road. Hunan Trail runs along the north of the property. I have seen the county out grading the roads a few times now while exploring land and for the most part you can get around easily. There were wild horses grazing just down the road making for a beautiful setting!!
There are great views to the north of Blanca Peak with the San Luis Hills in front of her - pretty view of the mesas! She is the fourth highest peak in Colorado at 14,345 feet and part of the Sangre de Cristo Range.
The long view of the mountains continue from the N to the E to the SE to the Culebra Range. The Culebra Range is a sub range within the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that rises to 14,047 at Culebra Peak!
To the SW and W are views of grassy rolling San Juan Hills with very interesting peaks and mesas and the San Juan Mountains beyond. It's home of the San Juan National Forest where I caught the 41st Annual Chama Chile Ski Classic in January 2014! Its cross country ski events include both freestyle & classic style races and snow shoe races. It took place at Windy Point, just below Cumbres Pass on Hwy 17 about 12 miles North of Chama! That sure was a fun thing to catch!
To the south in New Mexico is Ute Mountain, an isolated, free-standing former volcano, Ute Mountain rises nearly 3,000 feet above the surrounding plains, reaching an elevation of 10,093 feet, the highest point on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the state and it borders the Rio Grande Gorge.
And from one mountain to another are wide open views of the valley, a beautiful place to watch the wildlife. I included a video I made in January 2014 driving around – wow what a beautiful display of wildlife!
I spotted one of the largest elk herds in my life grazing just outside Fort Garland!
Alamosa, to the north 1 hour, is a bigger town offering shopping, restaurants, Adams State College, the county offices, and hotels. San Luis, the county seat, Fort Garland, Conejos, Mesita and Jaroso are small towns in the area offering gas and a few restaurants.
The valley is mostly agricultural with many beautiful farms sprinkled about. The area is extremely green in the spring into early summer months here - yes, even in the high desert! They do get a decent amount of snow up in the mountain ranges in the winter months and mild warm temperatures in the summer.
There are 4 fishing lakes in the area: Sanchez Reservoir, Sanchez Stabilization Reservoir, Mountain Home Reservoir State Wildlife Area and Smith Reservoir State Wildlife. I had a great time watching bald eagles take off from Smith Reservoir State Wildlife in 2012! : ) Oh I so love my job!
Buddy and I stopped by Sanchez Stabilization Reservoir in May 2018. A man was fishing in a boat and said he was using spinners to catch trout. After a few minutes he landed one in his boat - how cool was that! The reservoir is fed by Culebra Creek and is a favorite watering hole for wild horses and fishing for large trout!
Other close by recreational activities are the Great Sand Dunes, Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, Blanca Wildlife Habitat Area, Blanca Wetlands, the Rio Grande, and skiing to the south in Taos and Red River.
The Rio Grande flows about 2.75 miles W of the property and there is a bridge over it about 4 miles NW.
The property is zoned for a home or manufactured home and some RV use. If you have been looking for a place in Colorful Colorado to have fun you will have a hard time finding a better price on a big chunk of land! I think this is a beautiful rural setting for someone looking to hang out and go fishing and watch the horses roam in your back yard! Enjoy! Char the Explorer : )
A video I made in 2014 of several of my favorite photos from my journey’s thru the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado.
The San Luis Valley is nestled high in the Rocky Mountains in the Sangre de Cristo Range. The valley sits at an elevation of 7544 feet. It's one of the largest high desert valleys in the world at an altitude of over 7,000 feet. It is approximately 125 miles long and over 65 miles wide.
The high plains and flat valleys stretch for 722 square miles and is surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the E and the San Juan Mountains to the W. The Rio Grande, the 4th longest river in N America, originates in the San Juan Mountains and flows through the San Luis Valley. Mt. Blanca, the fourth highest peak in Colorado at 14,345 feet, looms large over the historical town of Fort Garland. It can clearly be seen for miles on a typical sunny day!
San Luis, the county seat for Costilla County, is about 210 miles SW of Denver, 175 miles E of Durango and 60 miles N of Taos. Established in 1851, it's the oldest town in Colorado, with a population of about 750. It's predominately Hispanic, with strong ties to Spain's religious, cultural, and artistic traditions. The town has interesting architecture and several murals that catch your eye as you drive thru!
It appeared that the Centennial School received a new paint job when I drove by in 2017. When checking out the schools website I found this little jewel. It's a tribute to their local veterans on Veteran's Day 2016. It reminds me that no matter where I wander free in America, people from even the smallest of communities in the middle of no where have sacrificed. In this crazy world it's nice to be reminded of our heroes! Cheers to the students who took the time to gather this historical information - love the young ones at the end! : ) Whoop Whoop!
It is a beautiful farming and agriculture area.
In May 2018 Buddy and I stopped by Sanchez Stabilization Reservoir in May 2018 which sits about 5.5 miles SW of San Luis, Colorado. A nice man was fishing in a boat and said he was using spinners to catch trout. After a few minutes he landed one in his boat - how cool is that! The reservoir is fed by Culebra Creek and is a favorite watering hole for wild horses and fishing for large trout!
The bustling town of Alamosa sits about 50 miles NW and is the largest town in the valley. It's home of Adams State College, the Alamosa County Offices, Wal-Mart, Home Depot and other major shopping and services. It has a population of about 8800. I try my hardest to make it to the big town of Alamosa at least one night for a fabulous dinner at True-Grits Steakhouse. It’s an old building decorated in John Wayne memorabilia and the food is 2 thumbs up!
The valley boasts an average of 280 sunny days per year! Summers are considered mild with daytime temperatures occasionally reaching 90 and cool summer evenings. Winters are very cold with average snowfall about 40 inches. The mountain passes are well maintained through the San Luis Valley and are all weather roads.
There are 3 fishing lakes in the area: Sanchez Reservoir, Mountain Home Reservoir State Wildlife Area and Smith Reservoir State Wildlife. In February 2012 I stopped by Smith Reservoir long enough to dip my toe and watch the bald eagles take off and land! Brrr was it a cold weekend and the wind off the water was even colder!
Later that evening as the sun was getting low over the valley I spotted a HUGE herd of wild horses. It took a moment but I noticed in the short distance another huge herd - oh they were stunning with the glow of the sun on them! That is the largest group of wild horses I have ever seen! They were nervous and took off running their tails flying in the wind!
Other close by recreational activities are the Great Sand Dunes, Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, Blanca Wildlife Habitat Area, Blanca Wetlands, the Rio Grande. and skiing in Taos and Red River, New Mexico.
In March 2013, I was driving up thru Taos, New Mexico and stopped by the Rio Grande River. There I spotted Dan the Man out doing some fishing. Oh he was such a great sport, very patient with me as I asked him what he was using to catch fish with. I shot about 30 photos of him and these were my favorites!
In September 2017 Buddy and I made the trek up the side of the mesa to the Stations of the Cross Shrine in the early morning. It is a series of 14 bronze sculptures depicting the last hours of Christ's life, his judgement, sufferings and death. It was built as an act of faith and love for the parishioners of the Sangre de Cristo Parish. I've made several videos over the past few years and this is by far my favorite. From the beginning with my beloved companion Buddy as we encountered the turkey vulture, to the views over the fertile San Luis Valley with her yellow and green crops.
The art by sculptor Huberto Maestas is quite graphic and moving. The sun was so bright in the early morning and seemed to increase the intensity of the sculptures. I unexpectedly felt tears flowing down my face when I reached the last few and was moved to place my only piece of jewelry upon one of the shrines, saying a prayer for my family.
The turkey vulture is a symbol of danger and death to many cultures as well as a protector and guardian. Looking back it seems to have foretold the story that lay ahead of us that morning. It truly was a moving experience for my soul and I am left with an even greater appreciation of the beauty of the San Luis Valley.
Recreation Links:
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Sand Dunes National Parks website - the tallest dunes in North America!
Colorado Parks and Wildlife fishing page. Check out the fishing atlas!
The Alamosa & San Luis Valley Chamber of Commerce Things to Do webpage.