Name: a.foot adventure | raton-clayton volcanic field + capulin + sugarite state park
Start: 2025-06-14T12:00:00.000Z
Location: Capulin Volcano National Monument

Join us for our annual trek to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, north of Alamosa. We will grab coffee and be on the road at 6:00 AM (earlier if you are driving from Denver) and begin the scenic drive to our destination.

We will meet at the main parking area at 9:00 AM. Drive past the Visitor Center and turn left at the sign. We will begin our hike by crossing Medano Creek and then pick a line that will take us to the top of the High Dune. Hiking barefoot is encouraged.

After having a snack on the back portal of the Visitor Center, we will drive to Zapata Falls, cool our feet and take in the view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

We will conclude our adventure with a late lunch at San Luis Brewing Company in Alamosa.

Please bring:
• A day pack.
• Water.
• High energy snack food.
• Warm layers and wind breaker.
• Sun protection: sunglasses, sun screen, hat, light sun blocking clothes.
• Both light sandals and a heavier closed-toe shoe that you will find comfortable hiking in sand.
• Thick crew socks.

**Park entrance fee is $25.00 per vehicle. Free with National Park Pass.**

Car pooling will be discussed as we get closer to event date. If you want to stay overnight, there is camping nearby and lodging in Alamosa.

[Click here to visit to the Great Sand Dunes website...](https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm)

a·foot 2025 · colorado hiking group

Bernard Tibbetts

Michelle Gianesses

Mark

Alisha Davall

Sam L

Sara

Lyla_Red

Kay R

Araceli

Paul Schroeder

Devin Mason

Christina

Julie Brestle

Brandi Blakley

Anselma

Shannon 

Keda M

gymnastaeb

Great Sand Dunes + Zapata Falls annual trek [an a.foot adventure]

Great Sand Dunes Parking

“Perhaps there’s no better act of simplification than climbing a mountain. For an afternoon, a day, or a week, it’s a way of reducing a complicated life into a simple goal. All you have to do is take one step at a time, place one foot in front of the other, and refuse to turn back until you’ve given everything you have.” ― Ken Ilgunas

Comments from previous attendees:

"Very thorough and very engaging presentation. Excellent use of web and presentation technology. And, very educational!"

Join presenter Bernard Tibbetts as he introduces you to the peaks in Colorado over 14,000 feet. Known as the Colorado Fourteeners, they provide amazing alpine experiences for thousands of people each year at all experience levels: hikers, backpackers, rock climbers and seasoned mountaineers alike.

Bernard will:

• Inspire and motivate you with the awesome images and map technology.
• Introduce you to the Colorado mountain ranges and groups where the Fourteeners are located.
• Discuss "first Fourteener" options.
• Explain how to research route and trailhead locations.
• Explain route ratings and use them to assess route difficulty.
• Present checklists for obtaining proper gear and clothing.
• Discuss ideas for getting fit for the Fourteeners.

Bernard Tibbetts has summited all of the Colorado Fourteeners and has been leading Fourteener hikes for over 10 years.

a·foot 2025 · santa fe and abq hiking group

Nancy

Dave Perry

MariaDR

Beginner's Guide to the Colorado Fourteeners | a.foot outdoor education

Online event

Let's go visit a really cool volcano at Capulin Volcano National Monument, east of Raton, NM near the Colorado border. Capulin (pronounced kah·poo·leen), means black cherry in Spanish and denotes the dark red color of the long-ago cooled lava it spit out at least 56,000 years ago. Capulin Volcano is a near perfect example of a cinder cone type volcano with a hiking trail along the crater rim and down into the crater vent.

We will meet at the Capulin Volcano National Monument visitor center where I will give the group an orientation about the volcanic field and the volcano. From there we will drive to the top of the volcano and explore. The views are extraordinary - you can see four states. And we will witness the lady bug bacchanal, a summer phenomena where millions of lady bugs turn the trees and rocks orange.

After exploring Capulin, we will drive along the top of Johnson Mesa, via the small town of Folsom and make stops along the way. Johnson Mesa is one of several mesas in the area that were caused by lava flows which solidified into basalt. Over time the softer sedimentary rock surrounding the basalt eroded leaving several distinct large elevated tablelands with precipitous sides. From the west side of the mesa, we will drop down into Sugarite State Park, have lunch and hike a trail around Lake Maloya before returning to Santa fe.

This is an exploratory adventure. The hiking will take place on Capulin and around Lake Maloya. The hiking distance is minimal. The rewards are the views of this unusual and ancient volcanic area, learning about volcanoes and discovering Sugarite State Park.

I will talk about car pooling as we approach the date. It is a three hour drive from Santa Fe and almost four hours from Denver, but I am organizing this as a day trip. The drive is part of the adventure. If you want to camp overnight, there is a KOA in the village of Capulin and there is camping in Sugarite State Park.

Entry is $20.00 per vehicle or you can use your America the Beautiful Pass. It pays to car pool!

louise M

Laura Verges

Victoria Jacobson

Pleasant J (JAN)

Ana ES 

Shiba Biswal

a.foot adventure | raton-clayton volcanic field + capulin + sugarite state park

Capulin Volcano National Monument

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