Discover Crestone, Colorado and the San Luis Valley
Crestone, Colorado is located at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the northern part of the San Luis Valley. Far from any ski area, Crestone is off the grid compared to most Colorado mountain towns, and despite both of us growing up in Colorado, neither of us had ever paid a visit.
Before last weekend, our only context on Crestone came from season two of the Up and Vanished podcast, which painted it as a tiny, spooky mountain town filled with hippies, drugs, and people running from something — where an innocent woman ended up missing under likely sinister circumstances.
Then came a random weekend in August where I had a Friday wellness day off from work — and y’all know what that means. Gotta make the most of the three-day weekend and travel!
We searched flights, we searched Taos and Santa Fe (two of our favorite places to drive), we searched southern Colorado towns like Salida, Telluride, and Ouray — but being so last minute, all the good Airbnbs and hotels were totally booked.
Then, we remembered Crestone.
Since it’s not your typical tourist destination, we were able to find the cutest Airbnb (more on that later!) and had one of the most relaxing weekend getaways we’ve had in a long time exploring a new part of our home state.
The Crestone area is often associated with mysterious, mystical vibes — and for good reason. It was originally part of Navajo country, and is still considered holy ground. In the 1970s many spiritual sites began popping up in the area, including Hindu ashrams, Buddhist centers, a Catholic monastery, and more.
Below is our guide to exploring Crestone, Colorado and the San Luis Valley — from the peaks to the hot springs, natural food, spiritual centers, sand dunes, and more.
WHEN TO VISIT CRESTONE
There are no ski resorts in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado (though there are some in New Mexico not too far south!), so it’s an unpopular destination compared to most Colorado mountain towns, especially in winter. On the flip side, Crestone is home to two of Colorado’s 14ers (14-thousand-foot peaks) and gets more traffic during the summer and early fall months for hiking and climbing.
We went in late August and got gorgeous weather in the 80s with light rain showers, so we highly recommend a summer stay.
One word to the wise for summer visitors — beware of mosquitoes! Crestone sits at almost 8,000 feet elevation and isn’t located on a body of water so we were really surprised to encounter swarms of mosquitoes everywhere we went! Consider bug spray as an essential on your packing list.
GETTING TO CRESTONE & WHAT TO SEE ON THE WAY
Crestone is about a 3.5-hour drive from Denver and you have lots of choices for cool places to stop on the way there or back, depending on which route you take.
On the way there, we took I-25 to Colorado Springs so we could drop off our pup with his grandparents (sadly, our Airbnb didn’t allow dogs). From there, we took Highway 24 to 285 down to Crestone.
If you take this route, we’d recommend stops in:
Colorado Springs: My hometown! :) Colorado Springs is a sprawling city that’s home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, the majestic Pike’s Peak, and other natural attractions like Garden of the Gods. I’m always amazed by how much downtown Colorado Springs changes every time I visit, and downtown or Old Colorado City would be fun places to stop for lunch or a beer.
Manitou Springs: Up Highway 24 just west of Colorado Springs is the quirky, hippie town of Manitou Springs. Manitou’s main street gets pretty crowded during summer weekends but if you’re passing through on a weekday, Adam’s Mountain Cafe is one of my favorite places to stop for breakfast or brunch and Mate Factor is a truly unique and special place to grab a coffee, mate tea, or a quick bite.
Buena Vista: A beautiful town on the Arkansas River surrounded by Colorado’s collegiate peaks. We always like to stop for food and beer at Eddyline Brewery when we pass through.
St. Elmo: One of the most accessible and best-preserved ghost towns in the west, St. Elmo is located about a 45-minute drive off your route as you head west off of Highway 285 and climb up to about 10,000 feet. We visited St. Elmo for the first time on our way to Crestone and it was really quick to see but super cool, especially if you’ve never been to a real ghost town before. Reminded us of our engagement photo shoot at another ghost town in Mayflower Gulch.
Mt. Princeton Hot Springs: On the road to St. Elmo you’ll find Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort — hot springs with a beautiful backdrop in the Chalk Creek Canyon near the base of Mt. Princeton. If you want to stop for a soak, weekend day passes are currently priced at $35 for adults and $30 for kids, with $10 towel rental and $7 locker rental fees.
Salida: Salida is another cute city almost directly on the path to Crestone if you take this route. It’s got plenty of hiking, water activities on the Arkansas River, bars, breweries, and restaurants, and a walkable downtown area with tons of cute shops.
St. Elmo ghost town, a great place to visit on your way to Crestone.
WHERE TO STAY IN CRESTONE
There are a few inns and B&Bs in Crestone, but during our visit after over a year of COVID closures, none of them looked very active. That’s not to say they won’t be back in action though. There also seems to be a variety of Airbnb options in Crestone, but we’re convinced we stayed in one of the best ones, so we’ll introduce you to it in hopes that it’s available for your stay.
Crestone Casita was the perfect relaxing getaway. It’s up a dirt road just outside of downtown Crestone on the coolest property — a main house, a back house, three casitas that they rent out on Airbnb, chickens and geese, greenhouses, a carpentry workshop, and all!
The houses are white adobe and the main house has the coolest tower with a freakin crow’s nest at the top. But the best part by far is the back yard that’s shared between the casitas. It’s like stepping into an enchanted fairy tale, complete with a little creek running through it, lush grass and flowers, tall trees, a hammock, and an outdoor kitchen. We spent a good amount of time there hanging out and never saw any of the other guests but met the super sweet owners, their dog, and cats! Highly recommend Crestone Casita if you’re looking for somewhere calm and relaxing where you can connect with nature.
The entrance to our cute and cozy Crestone Casita.
Our enchanted backyard!
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN CRESTONE
Despite being a very small town, Crestone boasts a few super solid places to eat and drink, with an emphasis on healthy and locally-sourced ingredients. Sadly, the Crestone Brewery closed down before our visit and a couple other places in town were closed or only accepting take-out due to COVID, but everywhere we ate was delicious! Check them out below.
The Cloud Station
300 S Cottonwood St, Crestone, CO 81131 | Website
One of the first things you’ll see as you enter Crestone is the Elephant Cloud Market — a grocery store focused on natural and organic food and products — and the attached Cloud Station cafe. We stopped at The Cloud Station in the mornings for coffee, dirty chai, and matcha lattes and got an amazing breakfast panini there. We’ve also heard the smoothies and breakfast burritos are a must!
Desert Sage Restaurant
242 Baca Townhouse, Crestone, CO 81131 | Website
Desert Sage is located just outside of town near the entry to the Baca neighborhood. The owner is Bhutanese so you can find a couple Bhutanese specialties on the menu, along with a variety of Asian and American items made with fresh locally-sourced ingredients. We both got Bhutanese stir fries, one with yak and one with chicken. They each came with a side soup and the entree portions themselves were humongous — made two meals for sure.
Desert Sage was only open for takeout when we visited, but we’d love to dine in next time!
Our Food is Art Restaurant
121 E Galena Ave Suite B, Crestone, CO 81131 | Website
Another Crestone staple focused on healthy, local ingredients across a wide range of menu items — from burgers to tacos to bakery items. Ray got ribs which he enjoyed and I got tacos which I felt were a little bland but would love to try some of the other items. The homemade pies and salads looked especially delicious!
WHAT TO DO IN CRESTONE & THE SURROUNDING AREA
For a more off-the-beaten path Colorado destination, Crestone and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo mountains and San Luis Valley boast a wealth of ways to spend your time, from the outdoorsy to the spiritual to the downright quirky. Here are a few to look into!
Hiking and Climbing
Willow Lake and Other Day Hikes
We’ll warn ya, most of the hikes in the area are at least moderately challenging. We did the Willow Lake trail, but only hiked for a few hours so didn’t go all the way up to the lake. We were treated to beautiful wildflowers and views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. And mosquitoes — so many mosquitoes!
We recommend checking AllTrails to learn more about Willow Lake and the other hikes in the beautiful area!
14ers
The area is home to two of Colorado’s 58 14ers, or 14,000+ foot peaks — Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle. Both are Class 3 (on a 1-5 scale), which is described as “scrambling or un-roped climbing. You must use your hands most of the time to hold the terrain or find your route. This may be caused by a combination of steepness and extreme terrain.” So in other words, this is not a technical climb where special gear is needed, but like every 14er, these 11 and 13-mile hikes will make for a very early start and a challenging but very rewarding day.
Willow Lake hike
Spiritual Centers
Crestone is home to over two dozen retreat centers and spiritual landmarks. Though it started out as a mining and ranching town, things began to change in the 1970s when UN diplomat Maurice Strong and his wife Hanne Marstrand Strong purchased a large piece of land in the area. On advice from a mystic, they decided to give free land to religious groups who wanted to establish in Crestone — leading to spiritual sites representing Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Native American spiritual traditions, and a variety of New Age beliefs.
Here are some of the main sites to consider paying a visit to.
Tashi Gomang Stupa
Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang is a retreat center founded by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, head of one of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The center offers retreat cabins but is best known for the Tashi Gomang Stupa. A stupa is a Buddhist monument that typically houses sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other holy individuals.
Honestly, we tried to drive to the stupa but it was far up a very washed out dirt road that made us concerned even for our trusty Subaru Outback. Based on the photos, the stupa is a beautiful holy site with gorgeous views over the San Luis valley.
Crestone Ziggurat
A ziggurat is a terraced structure dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. Accessible only by stairway, ziggurats traditionally symbolized a link between the gods and humanity.
Well, of course there is an ancient Mesopotamian spiritual structure in Crestone!
Visible for miles, the Crestone Ziggurat rises from a rocky hill on the southeast edge of the Baca. After purchasing the land in 1978, American businessman and father of Queen Noor of Jordan, Najeeb Halaby, commissioned the ziggurat as a private place for prayer and meditation, and it’s still publicly accessible.
Despite swarms of mosquitoes that shortened our time at the ziggurat, we found it a strangely beautiful and enchanting site with gorgeous views of sunset over the San Luis Valley.
Dharma Sangha
A zen Buddhist monastic center and retreat that offers training in meditation, a variety of online and in-person events, and individual and group retreats. The center takes retreat reservations from four nights to three months (!) in length. Find out more on their website.
The Crestone End-of-Life Project
And probably most interesting of all is The Crestone End-of-Life Project. This non-denominational community group promotes “informed end-of-life choices.”
Among the services it offers is open-air cremation at one of the only legal, open-air cremation sites in the state. Said to return the body to its original fire and air elements, the process involves a pyre, a half-cord of wood, a wooden stretcher and a shroud.
For more spiritual sites in Crestone, the Manitou Foundation has a full list.
Ray atop the Crestone Ziggurat
Special Events
Crestone Dark Sky Festival
In May 2021, Crestone was designated an International Dark Sky Community, and little did we know, the weekend we were there was the second Crestone Dark Sky Festival — featuring food trucks, bands, handmade goods, and some exceptional people watching. It doesn’t seem like they have specific dates on the calendar for these festivals going forward but maybe you’ll chance on one like we did!
Other Events
Crestone plays host to other events across theater, music, art and spirituality throughout the year. To learn more, take a look at this updated list from Uncover Colorado.
Bands playing at the second Crestone Dark Sky Festival
Health & Wellness
Sacred Spirit Lightwork
116 Alder St, Suite C Crestone, CO 81131 | Website
We passed by this place every day during our time in Crestone and would have loved to check it out! Sacred Spirit offers reiki, crystal healing, tarot reading and more, and would be a great complement to your time in one of the most spiritual towns in Colorado.
Hot Springs
What better way to cap off your relaxing weekend than a dip in some natural hot springs?
Three hot springs are located within a 30-45 minute drive of Crestone, and each offers something different.
Joyful Journey Hot Springs
28640 CR 58 EE, Moffat, CO 81143 | Website
Joyful Journey Hot Springs offers three pools of hot, medium, and cooler temperatures, all fed with untreated geothermal waters. One enters the pool area through a small spa building that has dressing rooms and a sauna.
The hot springs are 30 minutes from Crestone, and they also make a good stop if you’re driving to or from Denver. Lodging options are available, including motel-style rooms, yurts, teepees, and camping.
Valley View Hot Springs
64393 County Road GG, Moffat, CO 81143 | Website
Valley View Hot Springs are the most natural of the hot springs near Crestone, about a 45 minute drive away.
The hot springs are managed by the Orient Land Trust, and entry is by a membership fee , with a daily rate also available. It’s best to call ahead to reserve entry. Note that this is a clothing optional venue.
Sand Dunes Pool Hot Springs
1991 Co Rd 63, Hooper, CO 81136 | Website
The Sand Dunes Pool Hot Springs are about 35 minutes from Crestone, and it’s a great place to stop on the way back from Sand Dunes National Park.
There’s one hot pool in the public area near the entrance, but most of the hot pools are located in a large adult-only greenhouse with a bar. You’ll need to pay extra to enter the greenhouse, but it’s worth it! The environment is warm and relaxing and consists of a long cooler pool flanked by hot soaking pools and a sauna. Food is allowed at the tables, and is available at the bar or in the public food bar.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
And that brings us to the Great Sand Dunes themselves. If you’re in the area, the National Park is definitely worth a visit. Picture it — giant dunes rising up out of the vast and flat San Luis Valley, with the striking Sangre de Cristos in the backdrop. Enjoy hiking up the dunes and in the surrounding area, sandboarding and sledding, and camping at the campground in the park itself.
We had both been to the dunes when we were a lot younger and took the opportunity to visit them again on our way home from Crestone, visiting for free thanks to our National Parks Pass and stopping for a quick hike and frolick on the dunes.
That wraps up our recap of one of the most relaxing getaways we’ve had in awhile, and we’re so glad we took the chance to explore a lesser-frequented part of our state.
Frolicking through the dunes.
Questions or Crestone experiences of your own? Comment here or on our latest IG post.
Happy travels!
