Zapata Falls
Location: Alamosa CountySize: 619 acresDesignated: March 2002Landowner: State Land Board
Zapata Falls is located south of Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The falls themselves are an impressive geologic feature, where snowmelt from the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range has carved a dramatic narrow gorge. The area offers breathtaking vistas of the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes.
The falls area is one of a few known Colorado breeding sites for the rare and elusive black swift, a bird that nests exclusively in the dark recesses and spray of large waterfalls. The area also contains good to excellent quality grassland, woodland, shrubland, and forest communities.