Zapata Falls Campground

This was a great spot. Yea it is a steep climb but the road is paved so no big deal. We pulled in around 9:30pm in the dark in a Prius and we were fine.

Campsites are pretty and come with a table, bear box and fire ring.

Some spots like #13 had views that were incredible. Lots of privacy between most spots. Easy to get to, easy to walk around, easy to camp in - pretty much a can’t miss!

You do have to reserve online now in advance (I got one same day) and be away that in addition to the $11 camping fee there is an $8 fee to book online. Kind of a bummer for one night but if you stayed here a few nights it wouldn’t matter much.

They have trash and toilets too. No running water.

When we were there the weather was perfect. Bit chilly but felt good on the skin and I wore shorts. It was perfect. Skies were a beautiful pink in the morning.

There are no frills at Zapata Falls--no hook-ups, no hosts, and only vault toilets. But you don't plan a trip to this campground for the amenities: you plan a trip for the views (and proximity to Great Sand Dunes National Park). On these points, Zapata Falls doesn't disappoint. The drive up to the campground is long and steep, but once you arrive, it's worth it. We could see for miles from our campsite. 

The sites were mostly pretty private. We really couldn't see anyone from our site but like most of the sites at this campground, it was situated tight against the road, so you do see folks when they walk or drive by. I wouldn't plan another trip just to come back to this campsite but would definitely consider it if we were in the area again.

This is a very cool place. It is high above the San Luis valley, with a great view of the dunes in the distance, and amazing sunsets. If you go, reserve online before you get there or the moment that you get there. It was a little confusing that you couldn’t just pay with cash as we used to be able to do, and you had to find a decent cell signal and go onto recreation.gov, and look at availability, and enter your credit card in, etc. Anyhow, the location is awesome, and would be just perfect if you could just pay cash for those of us that role of the old school way.

We loved this place. Plenty of privacy between campsites, and the view was unbelievable. Very close to the sand dunes, great sunsets.

Zapata Falls Campground is wonderful! We have camped here every year for the past five years. It was usually a lengthy drive up the mountain to get to the campground. This year we enjoyed the upgrade of the road being paved up the mountain. It was nice to see people in the campground with longer trailers and the tent campers In their small cars. The bathrooms were clean and the host was friendly. The hike to the Zapata Falls is short. Love this place! Definitely recommended!

Stayed here two nights while visiting Great Sand Dunes, because the Pinon Flats campground at the park had already booked up basically six months to the day in advance - but very glad we stayed here instead.  The views of the San Luis valley were insanely beautiful.  Star gazing was spectacular.  The hike to the frozen waterfall was one of the highlights of our two-week trip.  And during our stay, a grass fire broke out at Sand Dunes forcing them to close the park for half a day, but since we were at Zapata Falls it didn't affect us and we were able to still spend the day hiking on the mountain.  The drive up is lengthy but the road is in pretty good shape, there was a crew working on it while we were there.

Great spot. Easy access to dunes. But the hike to the waterfall was amazing! We went from hot sand to a frozen waterfall on the same day!

The road up is long but has a beautiful view of the mountains and nearby trails you can walk to. Tent spots are nice and usually tucked into the trees, also lots of places to hang a hammock. Little windy but not bad. Amazing view of the stars

Giving Zapata Falls a 4/5 because when we went and camped the California wildfires had obscured the views of the surrounding area. It was cool to see the sand dunes from the look out on the north side of the camp ground. We were camped at an overlook and the park host was an absolute charm, we talked to him often and he rode around and checked the camp grounds often.

Beautiful and clean site. Bear locker, picnic table, and fire pit.

Amazing vista of the valley, but you need to walk around to the day use area for a clear sight of the Great Sand Dunes. (5 mins)

Sunset 💯

Each campsite has a bear box, a picnic table and a fire ring. Cell service for t-mobile is awesome. There is road work happening on the way up so it will be rough and bumpy. No camp host in October and the fee tube was taped off, however reservations came be made on recreation.gov. Bathrooms were clean, well stocked and had hand sanitizer. Water pumps were shut off for winter.

I liked it a lot! It was my dogs first ever camping experience and he loved it. There was an insane amount of dogs there at the time which kinda sucked but it was cool! The roads a little rough but nothing super crazy! The falls are gorgeous. I tried to take my dog here who’s kind of old and is just getting into camping since we moved here but he slipped into the creek and had enough of it lol. Some of the people are incredibly rude too seeing as how it’s a one way to the falls and they might as well push you out of the way to see it. Other than that it was great though!

Very sketchy and uncomfortable. Camp host is disrespectful and unhelpful. He runs his generator all night. There’s a guy who apparently does a radio show from a site on the RV loop and he is constantly intoxicated and loud throughout the night. Worst camping experience i’ve ever had. Did not feel safe.

We loved the privacy of the sites and the beauty of the area. The campground sits near the top of a mountain and offers stunning views of the valley below.  We woke up above the clouds in the morning! We did however experience a bizarre and traumatizing evening that I should mention... the camp host is a strange man and he had strange friends staying in the site near us. They were blasting music, shouting obscenities at the top of their lungs, and cursing demons for a "radio show" they were "broadcasting." Pretty sure they were not in their right minds. Still I wasn't worried about them at this point (this was before I knew they were friends of the host) and simply went to the camp host to ask him to have these "campers" turn down the volume. He seemed highly annoyed with me, but said he knew them and that he would handle it. He drove out to their site and they did turn the music down, but apparently the host alerted them to the fact that I was the one who had complained.  Because as soon as the host drove off this one man in the group approached our campsite and started yelling threats toward me -- about how he was going to kill me, how I should enjoy my last few breaths, how he was going to "take out" my dog, my daughter, and then me. I can't express how terrifying this felt. My daughter began crying. I began ushering us into the car to drive to safety when two other campers who had overheard the threats came to our aid. One ran to the camp host, but he only yelled at her to stop telling him how to do his job, and slammed the trailer door in her face. We called dispatch. When the host learned that county sheriffs were on the way, he suddenly became friendly and helpful. Long story short, we negotiated for the belligerent campers to be escorted off the mountain and we had a peaceful rest of our stay (although I did not sleep that night). As for camping here? It's gorgeous, but we won't be back as long as this particular camp host remains.

A long drive up the road to get to this one but the views are worth it. $11 dollars a night. The camp host is rude, when asked simple questions about the area was met with hostility, he also keeps his generator on all night even though the camp rules say they are to be shut off at Ten pm. The other campers where friendly and most helpful.

The sites were nicely spread out and had amazing views. It was a short hike to the waterfall & only about 30 minutes from the Dunes!

Great campground, a lot of room between camp sites, bathrooms are clean, the only downfall is the road up. Very bumping, we took our 15ft pop-up and it was fine. They are working on the road so hopefully it’ll be done by end of summer. Great place to camp if you are looking to go to the Dunes for a day.

Dog friendly, drink friendly, great views!

Rough road coming in but still doable for low clearance and 2WD. Sites and pretty cramped for those in groups but still doable for the one we stayed in. Bathrooms and trash receptacles were nice and clean.

This is a first come/first serve campground. On a Thursday, I saw what was probably the last spot, fill up by 4:30PM. The BLM number on the website is great for quick pre recorded info. As of 6/11, the dirt road that treks miles up the mountain is still nowhere near finished. The trail and campground was packed with local and international travelers.  The hike to the falls is rocky but not too long. The views from the campground are huge and vast. Wind in the Valley is pretty consistently 20+mph from March through May. But it keeps the mosquitos away! And usually the wind calms at sunset. I would stay here again for a 1-2 night trip.

I wasn't expecting to pay a fee, since it's managed by BLM. The fees were humble, though. $11 a night for a single camper. The campgrounds were great. I was able to get in early and pick a good site. Table and fire pit on site. Bathrooms in walking distance, and seemed to be well kept. They do seem to fill quickly, though. Beautiful views of the valley, and close proximity to the falls hiking trail. It was an excellent stay for me. I'm a solo female camper and traveler, and felt super safe here.

I wouldn't make a point to come back but wouldn't avoid it. We camped here for proximity to the sand dunes, obviously, which I'm sure is the goal of those of you reading this review.

The road driving up is about 20-30 mins and pretty rough/bumpy. All sorts of cars made it, just know your abilities. They are doing work on the road so hopefully it will improve. No paving, just leveling it out.

The campground is a bit exposed although has lots of  shorter juniper trees. 

The sites are pretty small, not spacious, and RIGHT next to the gravel campground road so lots of dust constantly as people circle the campground. Tent pads dont really exist/aren't clearly marked and sort of a "make it yourself" thing. 

We tried to rig a sun shade due to the exposure and intense sun, but it was a joke because the wind was SERIOUS. Calm in the morning and evenings but during the day the wind seriously is very gusty and honestly gets pretty annoying.

We arrived around 10:30 am on a Friday to 3 spots remaining. They were gone within 20minutes. Check out time I believe is 11 am so that's around the time to show up. After finding a spot and then wandering the campground, there is actually a little overflow loop of maybe 5 or 6 sites for tents only. I don't believe you can leave your car. They seemed much more private and enjoyable, better shaded. I think the cars have to be left at the trailhead parking.

The host was a very pleasant older man frequently walking around, chatting with campers and patrolling. He helped to resolve a dispute about site reservation with the people next to us and everyone seemed pleased.

Bathrooms very clean.

Zapata Falls trail is right at the campground and an easy and pretty little hike. Did it with 3 dogs. 1 mile total- out and back.

*Tip for visiting the dunes. Go early morning or later/evening. Sand gets super hots, esp for dogs paws. Even the cool sand aggravated my dogs paws after about 20 minutes.

Stayed here 4/30/21. The location itself is beautiful, with sweeping views, waterfall, and excellent night sky. However, it was crowded and overrun with people. There was no host at this site which made things even more hectic as folks were camping all over the place. Additionally, cars kept driving through the full campground all night looking for open spots. Although it’s a majestic location, I would only consider revisiting in the off season since I am a camper who likes to get away from people.

Great views of the valley and a few sites have a view of the dunes. Showed up on Friday afternoon and only 3 other campers but most sites filled up by dusk. Drive slowly through the camp, it’s dusty. I lived in this area years ago and Wind is to be expected. The drive up was bumpy because the road is undergoing a huge redo and hasn’t been packed down. Mostly tent campers so it was super quiet. I didn’t hear any generators. I would stay here again for sure.

Rough road up to the camp sites. Some construction looks like improving the road. Dirt and rock road, twists and turns. Only half the sites at camp were taken. Many with trees to hang hammocks and shade. Amazing views from almost all sites. We went up to scout and see the falls. Lots of day traffic to see the falls. We're able to hike up the path to the falls with 2 7year olds. And we are not experienced hikers. Falls are frozen still, running water under the ice. Beautiful serene. Able to hike up in limited crowds. Were alone at the falls to experience the quiet and family time. Cactus all over the landscape, watch for the dogs. River Rick is most of trail path, watch your step. Would absolutely come back to camp!

Beautiful views, easily the best place to camp in the area. Overlooks all of the San Luis valley

Me and my family went here for night and it was great! The weather was in the teens and we were able to make it work in our tents. The morning after was cold and frigid. The valley below us made us all look upon it with awe. Be prepared to come to this campsite with supplies if plan on winter camping.

This is a great campground. Beautiful views, plenty of space and access to some great hiking.

The hike to Zapata Falls was very crowded, even when the campground wasn't full; a lot of people make the drive just for the falls. I would highly recommend the hike to Zapata Lake. It's strenuous but beautiful.

The road to the campground is very rough. Be prepared to go slow, especially if you have a small car. I have a small car and driving this road was one of the most stressful things I've ever done. Take your time. And let people who are going faster than you pass.

Not far from Great Sand Dunes NP, this state park has some very nice spots and a easy hike to the falls. We were there the last ski day of the year in April and we had the entire campground to ourselves. Maybe that's why I liked it so much. :)

Leave no trace.

These sites were pretty large and very private. There was plenty of space in the surrounding trees to explore a little. Each site was very unique in its space and set up, which is really cool.

Clean vault/pit toilets were available with toilet paper provided, but you need your own sanitizer.

The proximity to an amazing trail to the Falls is of course an obvious bonus.

Group camp sites are available (although not during COVID)

I spent a night here earlier this summer, back in May. Amazing find. The road up to it is long and can be pretty rough (gravel, but with big rocks and dips) so if you're in a low-clearance car might want to take it slow.

The campground overlooks a huge expanse and the views are really stunning. Sunset and sunrise are perfect, and you can see Great Sand Dunes National Park off to the right. Maybe the campsite with the best views of all those I've ever stayed at. Really kind of mind-boggling if the weather is clear and the visibility is good.

Waylan, the camp host when I was there, is a total character but a really nice guy. We made friends with him and he decided to take us up for a midnight hike to the water fall. So cool. Headlamps and rock-jumping trying not to get wet as we made our way up the creek. Definitely give this man a beer if you see him. He even hooked us up with some camp wood when we realized we forgot to buy some.

On that note, it does take a while to get up here and to get back, and when you get back to the main road it's still in the middle of nowhere so you might want to stock up on ice and food and wood and whatever else you might want if you're planning on hunkering down for a while. 

All in all, a truly special spot. Next time I'm in southern Colorado I'm definitely heading back. Hopefully Waylan will still be there.