The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

A mother bison and her calf graze at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains on Medano-Zapata ranch in southern Colorado. © Chris Pague / TNC

Open to the Public

Yes

Things To Do

Hiking, walking, wildlife watching and other nature-based activities. View All

Plan Your Visit

Dress for the season, and bring bug spray and water. View All

Get Directions

Location

South-central Colorado: near the town of Mosca in the San Luis Valley

The ranch is not far from the Great Sand Dunes National Park, site of the tallest sand dunes in North America.

Size

100,000 acres

Why The Conservancy Selected This Site

Because it provides landscape-scale conservation of a biologically significant area containing several rare animal and plant species - some found nowhere else in the world.

What The Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

In 1999, The Nature Conservancy made conservation history by acquiring this preserve, its largest in Colorado.

The Conservancy manages the ranches for two reasons: to protect their significant natural values and to demonstrate how cattle and bison operations can co-exist with conservation efforts.

Staff at the Zapata Ranch focus on:

• Conducting naturalist workshops,
• Scientific research, and
• Operating a cattle and bison ranch.

What to See

Rare Plants

Rare Insects

• Ant-like flower beetle (found nowhere else on Earth!)
• Circus beetle
• Giant sand treader camel cricket
• Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle (found nowhere else on Earth!)
• Histerid beetle

Birds

Wetlands here provide habitat for numerous bird species such as

• American bitterns
• Sandhill cranes (during spring and fall migrations), and
• White-faced ibis (rare).

Birds: Other species

• Ferruginous hawk
• Sage sparrow

Why You Should Visit

Imagine seeing thousands of acres of meadows, wetlands, sand dunes and cottonwood groves set against majestic 14,000-foot mountain peaks.

Imagine exploring a stone-age bison-kill site, a prehistoric Native American camp and a historic cattle ranch (still in operation) - all in one place.

If those prospects don't intrigue you, how about walking amidst sand dunes that soar 700 feet into the air?

The San Luis Valley harbors the Great Sand Dunes National Park and constitutes the most biologically significant landscape of its size in Colorado. Wetland ponds can be found among these huge dunes.

This preserve lies within a vast, high-elevation (7,500-foot) basin flanked by not one but two impressive mountain ranges: the San Juans and Sangre de Cristos. Elk share the landscape with a resident bison herd.

How to Visit

There are a couple of ways to see the ranch:

• join a guided ranch tour, or
• enjoy the 1-mile-long hiking trail through cottonwood groves and wetlands to mountain views and plentiful wildlife viewing.

Things To Do

The 1-mile scenic trail is open March-October, dawn to dusk.

Plan Your Visit

If you're scheduled to visit during the summer, dress for extreme heat, pack bug repellent and bring plenty of water. The preserve is best seen via automobile, stopping for short walks along the way. Expect to see both cattle and bison grazing on the Zapata Ranch.

Directions

From Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, & Colorado Springs:

• Drive south on Interstate Highway I-25 past Pueblo to Walsenburg. 
• At Walsenburg head west (right) on Highway 160. 
• Pass over La Veta Pass and through the towns of Ft. Garland and Blanca. 
• At Highway 150 turn north (right) toward the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
• Drive north on Highway 150 just past mile marker 12 on the left
• The Zapata Ranch is surrounded by a large grove of cottonwood trees on the west (left) side of the road. 

It takes approximately 4.5 hours from Boulder, 4 to 4.5 hours from Denver, about 5 hours from Fort Collins and 2.5 to 3 hours from Colorado Springs.

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

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