Great Sand Dunes Road Bike Loop

Alamosa => Hwy160E => Hwy150N => west to Hwy17
=> Mosca => Return to Alamosa

This is approximately a 60-mile road bike loop through the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado. While the road is relatively flat (for Colorado), afternoon winds and heat can make riding difficult so it's best to either start your ride very early or make it a 2-day trip. 


Lodging is available at the halfway point at Great Sand Dunes Oasis and Great Sand Dunes Lodge, both located 16 miles north of Highway 160E on Hwy 150, within a few miles of the entrance to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Great Sand Dunes Oasis and the park itself both offer camping. Please note that if you choose to visit or camp within the park, this will add mileage to your ride, another reason you might consider an overnight stay.

View from Hwy 150N

The ride begins in Alamosa, Colorado, population less than 9,000. There's a nice visitor’s center, one Starbucks, plenty of lodging, and a KOA campground located on Hwy 150 east heading out of town. In my younger days, I would have camped, but on this trip, I stayed at the Hampton and found the accommodations to be quite satisfactory with a nice pool and jacuzzi. 

Zapata Falls

Leaving Alamosa, you will ride for approximately 14 miles east on Hwy 160 with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and lots of wide open space and a few scattered homes. Turning left (north) onto Highway 150, you have lovely views of Great Sand Dunes National Park. At Hwy 150 mile marker 11, there's a turnoff for Zapata Falls, but unless you're on a mountain bike, you can't make it up the gravelly road and trail. The trailhead is a steep 3.5-mile climb east of Hwy 150 and the trail is about a half mile uphill to the falls.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

At Hwy 150 mile marker 16, you arrive at Great Sand Dunes Oasis and Great Sand Dunes Lodge, a great stopping place for lunch. There's a full-service restaurant located onsite. From here, you can either continue north into Great Sand Dunes N.P. or if you're just interested in riding back, you head west on the major (paved) road heading toward Mosca and Hooper. I chose to spend the night at Great Sand Dunes Oasis, which I recommend.

Continue approximately 15 miles west to Hwy 17. You'll pass San Luis Lakes State Park and have many more gorgeous view of the dunes along the way. Once you reach Hwy 17, you can either go a couple miles north to the Colorado Gator Farm where you can hold a baby alligator and meet "Morris" the alligator who has starred in Happy Gilmore, Interview with a Vampire, and Doctor Doolittle 2, or you can head directly back to Alamosa, which is approximately 13 miles south on Hwy 17.

My son holding a baby alligator

Personally, I prefer to take it slow, tool around in the park for awhile, and get a good night's rest before heading back to Alamosa. Plus, holding a gator was the experience of a lifetime!

~Lori Dotson

 Copyright © 2012