Zapata Falls Campground

About

Zapata Falls Campground sits at 9,088 feet on the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range, offering panoramic views of the San Luis Valley, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, and multiple 14,000-foot peaks. The Bureau of Land Management campground features 23 individual campsites split between two loops: one for tent camping and another accommodating RVs and trailers up to 50 feet. Standard amenities include tables, tent pads, fire rings, food storage lockers, and parking at each site. The campground provides trailhead access to the South Zapata Creek Trail and the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. A separate trail from the adjacent day-use area leads half a mile to Zapata Falls, where South Zapata Creek drops 25 feet through a narrow canyon. Viewing the falls requires wading upstream through cold water. In winter, the falls freeze into a column of ice popular with experienced ice climbers. The area sits within the Zapata Falls Special Recreation Management Area, perched on the edge of the Rio Grande Rift valley. Cell phone service is good. The campground is accessed via 3.5 miles of improved gravel road from Highway 150.

Directions

From U.S. Highway 160, turn north on Colorado Highway 150 and travel approximately 10.5 miles. Between mile markers 10 and 11, turn east onto BLM Road 5415 and continue 3.5 miles on unpaved gravel road to the campground.