Zapata Falls is the sort of place you can\u2019t find unless you look for it. Despite this, I stumbled upon it largely by accident as it happened to be the only open campsite in all southwestern Colorado because it is first come, first serve. It\u2019s a bit of an adventure to find, miles and miles through the wide open expanse of the San Luis Valley, and the a sharp right turn onto the roughest three mile dirt road my ford fusion has ever seen that seems to be going nowhere the entire 25 minutes it takes to wind up the side of the valley without popping a tire.
\nThe campsites sit on the west facing slopes of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, from which you can see the tallest sand dunes in North America and a spectacular view of the sunset over the valley. It is great for car camping, for $11 a night the sites are decently spaced, there is good tree coverage and clean bathrooms. The weather is unpredictable, so be prepared for short bursts of strong winds and heavy rains, especially in late summer.
\nThe hike to the falls from the campsite is short and sweet, uphill but not too steep, though if you\u2019d like to see the waterfall be prepared to wade upstream for 20 feet or so. The water is cold, but it\u2019s worth it to wade into a chasm carved out by the force of a little creek over a millennium. The falls themselves aren\u2019t large, but it\u2019s the sort of place where time ceases to exist, or maybe is a little more present, just for a moment until someone else comes in and they aren\u2019t wearing a mask and damn its 2020 isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"