Welcome to the San Luis Valley

San Luis Valley is a large broad alpine valley in the Rio Grande Basin of south-central Colorado. The valley is drained to the south by the Rio Grande which rises in the San Juan Mountains to the west of the valley and flows south into New Mexico. The valley is approximately 122 miles (196 km) long and about 74 miles (119 km) wide extending from the Continental Divide on the northwest to the New Mexico state line on the south. Parts of New Mexico are also considered to be part of the San Luis Valley.

The San Luis Valley is generally considered to comprise 6 counties: Saguache, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Conejos, Costilla and Mineral. The principal towns are: Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte, South Fork, Creede, Saguache, Center, Fort Garland, San Luis, Antonito, La Jara, Manassa, Crestone, Villa Grove, Hooper, Mosca, San Acacio, Colorado and a number of smaller locations, some ghost towns. A few other counties have some land in the Rio Grande Basin including Archuleta County, Colorado, Hinsdale County, Colorado and San Juan County, Colorado

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains form the eastern border of the valley. Blanca Peak is prominent at the southern end of the northernmost section of the mountains, which is known as the Sangre de Cristo Range. There are several passes, with elevations between 9,000 and 10,000 feet (2,700 and 3,000 m), giving access to the valley. La Veta pass, through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is used by US Highway 160 and by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D. & R. G.) tracks. Other passes used historically were Medano, Mosca and Sangre de Cristo Passes. Otto Meers was the engineering genius behind the construction of a railroad link from the Arkansas River, over Poncha Pass (at the north end of the valley) and into the San Luis Valley.

The Great Sand Dunes is a famous feature of the valley. It lies directly to the west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the sand is said to come from many states surrounding Colorado. Some of the dunes can reach 200 feet high, and the dunes are kept in place by the waters of Medano Creek. The Great Sands Dunes National Monument is now in place to protect both the dunes and the numerous archeological sites found in the area. The natural valley aquifer is close to the surface in this part of the valley, and helps with maintenance of water levels in the San Luis Lakes, just to the west of the sand dunes.

Elevation rises as you go north in the valley to Poncha Pass, used now by US Highway 285 and historically by the narrow gauge tracks of the D. & R. G.

About 50% of the 2,000,000 acres (8,000 km²) in the San Luis Valley is privately owned.

500,000 acres (2,000 km²) on the borders of the valley, generally abutting National Forest Lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, a division of the United States Department of the Interior. This land is usually leased to neighboring ranches for grazing for a nominal fee. Part of the value of a ranch is its continuing lease of BLM or National Forest lands.

Public lands in the mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley are generally part of the Rio Grande National Forest and are managed by the United States Forest Service.

Agriculture in the San Luis Valley is generally concentrated around the Colorado towns of Alamosa, Monte Vista and Center. Principal crops include potatoes, head lettuce and beer barley. Less favored areas with a shorter growing season and less access to water rights tend to be devoted to alfalfa and grazing. Broad areas, especially in Saguache County, Colorado have a high water table or are even flooded part of the year, though agricultural drawn-down, evaporation, and climate change are drying up these natural wetlands earlier every year. Uncultivated land is often covered with "chico", low brush such as rabbitbrush, greasewood and other woody species.

Sandhill cranes migrate through the valley every Spring and Fall. The Monte Vista Crane Festival takes place in March, and centers on the wildlife refuge located six miles south of town. Occasionally, a whooping crane can be spotted among the thoudsands of grey sandhills. The valley is a flyway for many migrating birds, including avocets, bald eagles, gold finches, and too many types of hawks to list here.

There are over 300 known artists living in the San Luis Valley as evidenced by an onging directory maintained by Monte Vista artists' group, The Art Thing. The Art Things' membership boasts several nationally recognised artists working in various media.