THE HIDDEN
GEMS OF
HWY 285
AND THE GREAT SAND DUNES
I
f you are seeking a weekend getaway that is a bit less
crowded yet still has plenty of natural beauty, then take
a trip down Highway 285 to the San Luis Valley. Here
you will find great two-lane scenery, four easy mountain
passes, high meadows, national forests, plenty of 14ers, some
of Colorado’s quirkier attractions, and a lesser known gem.
entrepreneurship and you will likely appreciate one if not both.
A few miles south of Hooper is Colorado Gators Reptile
Park (www.coloradogators.com). Opened in 1990, this
park has become a sanctuary for exotic pets which have
outgrown their domestic homes and quickly became a hit
with locals and the media. Among its many attractions
are pythons, iguanas, tortoises, alligators of course, and
another lesson in entrepreneurship. You also get to see a
truly amazing man-made ecosystem that transitions from
aquatic to near desert as the hot springs water descends two
levels, winding around the building and then outside.
Heading south out of Denver, the first waypoint where you are
getting off the beaten path is a few miles past Shawnee. Here
you will see a 55-foot tall statue of Jesus erected in 1933 at
Camp Santa Maria. As you continue your drive, you will climb
to the first of four passes, Kenosha Pass, and then Red Hill
Pass where you are greeted with a great view of South Park as
you descend into Fairplay. Just past Antero Junction, you will
drive through Trout Pass in the Pike and San Isabel National
Forests and then turn south at Buena Vista and into Poncha
Springs where you should visit Grimo’s Italian Restaurant just
north of the junction of Hwy 285 and Hwy 50. Grimo's is a
popular local restaurant, it serves up many from-scratch dishes
and desserts and its food and reputation speaks for itself.
A few miles further south, look for the signs and turn left and
head east to link up with Hwy 150 to the Great Sand Dunes
National Park and Preserve. A truly unique combination of
wind, water, and topography create the tallest sand dunes in
North America where you can enjoy hiking, sand sledding,
or a variety of other outdoor activities. Among the many
landscapes are wetlands, grasslands, alpine lakes, and tundra.
A little bit of something for everyone. The weather and
activities at the Dunes can vary greatly, so be sure to plan
ahead and visit www.nps.gov/grsa for more information.
In terms of places to stay, nearby Salida is home to t