san luis lake state park

We stopped by here on our way to Great Sand Dunes, expecting to take a walk by the lake and take some photos. The lake has been drained or has dried up, so there is no water except some irrigation ditches. The surrounding mountains are scenic, but you don't have to be at the State Park to see them. There is a campground here, but when we were there at Fourth of July the park was deserted. On the bright side, it offered quiet and solitude and we saw a few birds around. It basically ended up being a brief rest stop for us. We appreciated the restroom facility so we did leave a donation in the honor-pay box.

As Colorado State Parks go this one is also in a wonderful location and has electrical hookups, showers, and laundry facilities. There are water spigots and water is provided but there are not water hookups at the sites. We visited in late September so all loops except one, the showers and laundry were closed already and the park was largely on the honor system for purchasing permits and paying fees. The proximity to Great Sand Dunes NP is a huge plus as noted by another reviewer and we agree with her assessment that having the electricity to run air conditioning (which the NP campground does not have) was an important perk of staying here. In addition, we got several digital TV stations which was pretty cool. There was no Wi-Fi, of course, and the 3G seemed to come and go.We read the reviews before we came so we knew the lake was dry. We spoke with a State Parks employee who said that the lake was drained to rid it of carp back in 2002. Well, bad timing because 2002 brought one of Colorado's worst droughts in memory. So the lake never got refilled. The San Luis valley is agricultural. Water is at a premium here so decisions are made and things can change.We did visit Great Sand Dunes NP and sat in on a Ranger presentation which is why I call this area Lake Alamosa. At one time (millions of yeas ago) the entire valley, including San Luis State Park, was a lake. While at the NP we drove through the campground. It is lovely but, as with so many of the older NP campgrounds, it can be difficult to find a larger, level site. We have a 32' travel trailer and I would have hated to try and assist my husband in maneuvering into and leveling our unit in one of those sites. On the other hand, San Luis State Park had many, many large and fairly level pull-through sites. When we arrived there was one other camper there in a very large motorhome. The first night we were there two people who were very noisy and disruptive came into the campground at about 10PM. They didn't make a lot of noise once they set up their tent, fortunately, and it was great watching them quickly pull down their tent, pack up and skedaddle when State Park employees arrived at about 8AM the next morning. When they left my husband checked their campsite and found a lot of trash lying around and hot embers smoldering in the fire ring. We picked up the trash and deposited it in the provided dumpster, and we made sure the embers in the fire grate were drowned. This is our State. This is our State Park. We are happy to help maintain it and keep it safe when we encounter those pathetic few who are incapable of respecting others and respecting the land. We walked the lake bed and found it very interesting with the animal prints, fish bones, and some human artifacts (parts of buoys, water ski ropes, etc.) from the time when the lake existed. There were quite a few birds, lots of shy little four-legged critters, and jackrabbits which are always a joy to watch. The vegetation in the campground is mostly sage and grasses and even in late September it was very hot.Lastly, the unimpeded and panoramic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Great Sand Dunes was breathtaking, as was watching the sunrises and sunsets and then star gazing. We would return for sure and enjoyed our stay very much.

When is a State Park like a private camping site? It's when the lake is dry.. lol. I went then in Aug. 2014, and the only thing to do was to camp and look for wildlife, which is almost impossible to find, outside of a few birds. The facilities are about the same as the other (State) Parks. but with so little to do, why charge $20 for a campsite? $8 would be more than fair. It's a shame the lake is dry or drained. Was hoping to catch a few trout for dinner.. but alas. You might want to know that there are no trees here also. Nothing higher than 4-5 ft. so if it's hot.. it's scorching. If you're into the critters and birds that call this place home.. you might have some luck finding them. Don't come here for the hiking.. go on to Great Sand Dunes for that.

I picked up a brochure at one of the Colorado rest areas about San Luis SP. There's a picture of a lake with the mountains in the background. There's someone sailboarding on the lake. Inside The park is described as "a wet and wild place". Well, wild it is & deserted. Every picture shows people with fish & sitting by the lake. We decided to visit after coming from Great Sand Dunes. There was no one there. They were charging $7 for an admission fee on the honor system. We paid & drove around the "lake". Past a campground with maybe 3 campers to the hiking area. By now, Scott is grousing about a lake with no water. We park & he heads off cross country. We did scare up a jack rabbit, which we've never seen one before. There were birds & eventually, we did find the trail & the wetlands. I think we'd seen them earlier in the day when we were up on the Zapata Falls trail. They were OK, but hardly worth $7 to hike them.

We stayed here instead of at Great Sand Dunes National Park because we wanted electricity. And we were glad because it was HOT! As everyone said, the lake is dry and there were only 4 other people camping the whole time we were here! But we got a great view of the mountains and sand dunes in the distance. The bathhouse and laundry areas were spotless. The camp host was very nice. We thought the privacy was AWESOME, especially considering they were packed in like sardines at Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The site was virtually empty due I guess to the lack of any lake but this was relaxing and eerie at the same time. I will come back.

We stopped by this "lake" only to discover it was dried up. Actually, the staff at Great Dunes indicated that the lake was drained due to a bacteriolgical condition that killed all the fish life in the lake. Never the less, I gave a Very Good Rating because visiting the place is sooo creepy it really is cool. Went during the week so there was no one there. The silence was defening. Nothing like walking the lake bed of a dried up lake. You find amazing things and see amazing animale tracks. If you're lucky, you'll see some dust devils dancing in the distance (See photo). It's a cool, spooky, surreal place to visit!

Although we researched this visit before coming, we did NOT realize that the lake dried up in 2012 or before - only fish bones remain! It was a very weird and eerie place to take a walk but on the plus side no one else was there!

We recently tent-camped here with friends out of necessity (last minute 4th of July plans leave you with limited choices). The site is well located in general, but it wasn't the camping experience we hoped for. Sound carries like you wouldn't believe, so don't expect to share stories around the campfire after 10PM. Even near silent whispers are broadcasted far and wide. The sandy areas for the tents were really nice, but that wasn't enough to offset the total lack of shade and hang out places. As soon as the sun rises, the tents turn to broilers, and you are forced up. Given million degree tents, there is no where to nap during the day either. There are power outlets at each site, and there are outhouses that are easily-accessible.The hosts and ranger were pleasant, as was access to showers, but unless you are camping in something other than a tent, this was a hot, desolate, ant & kangaroo rat infested wasteland. Without the lake, it was just not worth it.

This campground looks bleak from the outset as the lakes have dried up but it has some surprises such as electricity! and pay showers (need quarters) and even a laundry room!! It also has several tent sites that have designated soft sand pads. The hosts had extra water but it would be very wise to BRING your water!!

it was empty and completely dried out in Sept. 2012...not sure what the story is..kind of like a ghost town. So what's up ?

We didn't see the park at it's best. In fact it's suffering from a terrible drought. Both main lakes are dry. But it's still amazing. There are salt flats here that are a central feature of the entire basin. And, strangest of all, to get into the park, one has to drive over a canal flowing with water. The water reclaimation folks decide whether to by pass this lake in order to keep wildlife refuges supplied with water in dry years. There's not enough water this year to please everyone. We especially enjoyed chating with the folks at the visitor center/headquartes They really know their stuff and can tell you about other things to see and do in the area. They're very friendly and helpful. We bought the Colorado State Pass for the year and have visited many parks. They have camping here and at most, if not all, the state parks.

Bel parco con vista sulle dune del Great Dunes NP.Si visita in totale solitudine...gia' questo meriterebbe...

L'entrée du parc coute environ 10$. Il y a des oiseaux au bord de l'eau mais il n'y a rien à voir. C'est interdit de pêcher mais nous avons été accueillis par un poisson en décomposition et l'odeur qui va avec...Les abords du lac.. c'est pas terrible (voir photos). C'était bien loin de l'idée que je me faisais des Wetland d'après le site web du parc national.