---
template: byway.jade
id: "2111"
name: Los Caminos Antiguos
distance: "129"
duration: 3 to 4 hours to drive the byway.
description: "'The Ancient Roads' lead you to key historical areas in the San Luis Valley--a high, enormous sun-baked flat between the Sangres and the San Juan foothills."
contact: "**Alamosa Visitor Center**  \r\n 1-800-BLU-SKYS ext. 932  \r\n 719-589-4840  \r\n [Send E-mail](mailto:info@alamosa.org )  \r\n\r\n**Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway**  \r\n 719-379-3500  \r\n [Send E-mail](mailto:lcadmin@loscaminos.com )  \r\n\r\n**La Jara Field Office**  \r\n 719-274-8971  \r\n"
path: "agucFlwdeSd@?Cgq@e@U]e@{BeGy@uAw@aAgJqJq@aBk~A?s`F~AibCfAmdPp{@czAzIgJ^ia@~B}m@xDmAc~Dk@ohCSuhAIwaB?urBRklA^inLH_e@DgwBj@yeLEwKe@eGcOemAaCoRCiAN}@z@aApDxFfDzCjBfA|E|AlS~Cl~A|TrEz@fBd@bFdCd|B|tAdD~ArBl@dBVvELpsAXrpDEnvMfDtxARbfAADanARsHd@uHt@yGvCqO`DuKhGeN~yBekEb`@qu@zx@o_BlC{Fx@eCbAmEx@{IbBs_@VeI|Ae[xIyoBbN{yCzBwh@nDsn@X_JpHy~A|FPd_@hDrEPjNFrf@Dbr@Xfk@KdeB^nnHdChaDx@tk@@`k@ZrVCrkAmAtn@eApr@m@xL_@`QwA|TcCbpB{Rp[sCpu@yHvMu@f}@kAbEFvUhBfHr@DrD~AvDVpANpCOzCi@~ByCzH}DbJqFzJ}LrP{HzI_Zr]uEdGuG|LsDxJcD`Ny@zEi@zEoAxNcBjWO`EI`TCtRSx_@w@jzBEz[d@vKVbDpNhoAnAvN\\vHDrYIv}BB~rDJjCn@tDxA~DbC`DvCdCtBt@vA\\~CP|vCLf@Jv@n@`@bBCdbBL`IbAtOjTtxCv@|Y|EdmCmE`sDDnCxYznFQlG_@bCcVbz@sA`Hy@xKOzvA^nKvDj`@|IlbAbAxNlBfi@bItqBRlLh@baOIdBg@vD}Hbf@QxAMtE?xB^xFrBbV\\tBj@rBhAdCtGfKtA`Dj@dCRhBFjB@|cDEjWO|E?j~AC|IO~Fu@jbBEzyBMv`@ndFv{@njCfc@pj@rJf[`F`j@tJxV`EbBLpEBv^mArTKnp@A|H@l@Ft@VlEhGxO`[fG|M|DnM`BfIl@zDpG`p@n@lLJbJB`z@\\zbDD~TTpDb@nCvV`mAjAtIx@`HXxD?|GiApH}@jCcArBcDrEgNhQoAfCyAzF]jHEzE^rg@NrjAJxEVrCd@zClAjEdA`CfCxDdTvVhAfBbEtIhBxHf@`Dl@rIfD|x@\\xD|Fjd@|AnK|BhStA|[^~VEp`@c@r][lKy@lKWrGFpKSjDoAhFo@lAaAhAkBfBoMlJkH`EuTfOmGlEqD|C_BpBiBrDo@dBmArFSlB[fIaHv~CDlCXdCbBzJ^dFmH`dA?~CHlBt@fLx@nOCfCGrAY~B}@dEkMx\\yAzEwAxFg@xDM`BIfEHfIKdBSx@[dAiAzBqFhJe@nAYtA}@nTBhGd@rFbE`ZD|CGjAg@`DgL|a@iBtSYfBoAlEaIpUo@~AyRb_@c@r@gBfBgNzGuG~E{Ax@mBXqJ_@yADiBr@s@j@{D~DgAl@o\\tImBx@yAjA{@`AwGnK_AhAiBlA{IlCuB`A{CxBkOfQaL`NmB`BaIzEwAjAuBrCsDzFiArAiA~@iCrAmAVkId@kA^{BlAeWvTaK`KcClCwBxCaMtTaJjM}B~DsC`LqJpVoBfHqC`QyB|OSlEL~Ej@dDn@tBlBzDfApArYxXhNrKrCdDhElDXX^~@b@`Bz@pBf@f@`F~C`AlA~@pCbAhKVjAt@zC~@~BbBnCpAxAhIfHnDdFpCrCrDdBrCbAnCn@pDLx@ZxBbB`@Fx@M^Sf@_AHsAYkAo@s@}@WsBMoCe@}AyA_@s@c@qAyGk^Gu@Ly@N]v@g@x@@RNj@`A@~@Gd@m@`CIv@HlAl@tA~BvDZ~@d@`FV~@n@z@t@XrAGr@YhDyDvC_CjBuBx@k@bAMvDLxCgArAYxBTdAr@\\h@r@`CJdAKlFDtDXv@j@r@bA^bF^zClCbAl@l@RdHLj@VnDdDlElC`P|IxBn@fETlCGhIm@nHQ|Dd@~Ad@vDbBhD|Bhd@j\\tBdA~GlCxB~BlCvHn@x@fEpDvAtB`@bAZxA|AvMxAxH~AtDrArBrApAlCjBxAl@xA^lCXtCCrBMj^aFfDy@lEeBrAYhBKbEVbEl@vElBtBp@`BRbVlAdCj@|CxAxLbKpIrEbAhAt@`BbB`GxAxDT`AHr@?bDcBvLIdBG`BRdIL`A^~An@rAr@x@r@d@hAXjCEbPsDvC_@hBE~ADpEp@lW|HfFdAhC\\vGFhUeB|DA`E`@rE|AzSnKpVzG|CpAdCrBzE|EbBpB`AfCv@dEZ`IXbPUxD_CvPy@zJ}AjIiAtDqC~Ga@~By@bGy@~C}EfIsCfH}AxCcEzFy@pBo@bCYvB?`ERdA~@lCrBxBxGxD`D`Cn@r@n@pAfGbQx@~ClAlGd@|DNrDUjBc@fAe@v@}@l@}Cx@cBDeAReAd@sAdBYt@MjAJrCd@xApAlApAd@|@JjAIbAa@tAeArAsAhBeAdAM|@Ll@VxDrC`DdAnCf@bDlA~AlAhBvBbChFbCpIfBzDjAdBhDnDv@dAj@jAb@lBRfJ^xBX`At@jAvArC^nANhBNzGNz@xAxAlDdAt@v@Rn@LpA?lAPpA^x@n@f@|Br@j@\\^l@RdABhAaApIElBXdAfArAbDhBx@tAb@`BhKpo@tC~IzAdDfTpYvAdB"
websites: 
  - url: "http://www.nps.gov/grsa/"
    name: Great Sand Dunes Natl Park and Preserve
  - url: "http://www.coloradodot.info/travel/scenic-byways/south-central/los-caminos"
    name: Los Caminos Antiguos
  - url: "http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=65511"
    name: Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
  - url: "http://www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande/"
    name: Rio Grande National Forest
designations: 
  - BLM Back Country Byway
  - Colorado State Scenic Byway
states: 
  - CO
ll: 
  - -105.87014799999997
  - 37.46945199999993
bounds: 
  - - -106.49976300000003
    - 36.99371000000008
  - - -105.42504099999996
    - 37.666199000000006

---

The Great Sand Dunes are one of nature's most painstaking creations. Hundreds of feet high and more than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean beach, these huge drifting dunes accumulated over the eons as winds gathered and swept sand against the west
face of the Sangre de Cristo Range. That slow, determined process reflects the spirit of the San Luis Valley - a high, enormous, sun-baked flat between the Sangres, and the San Juan foothills. Life here would not seem to have changed much since the 1600s, when
Spain cast its claim over this region. Los Caminos Antiguos take you to Colorado's oldest surviving community (San Luis, 1851), the oldest church (Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Conejos), and one of its first military posts (Fort Garland). Drive, explore, take your
time- there's plenty of it to spare.
