UFO Watchtower: An Exciting Must-Stop Site in Alamosa, Colorado

I wasn’t planning to write about my time here since I didn’t camp or see UFOs. However, I have recently been talking to a friend about aliens, and I just started to watch X-Flies for the first time (yes, I am late to the game). My friend mentioned a lot of UFO activity in the Sand Dunes area.

So, since I have just published my 8 Tips for that National Park, I felt this would be a fun piece to write. Maybe you guys will stop here on your way to Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Full Disclosure:

I do indeed believe in aliens.

Please don’t leave.

Hear me out.

I believe there is something out there. And I am sure they have enjoyed a lot of entertainment and popcorn watching us humans . . .

Backstory

In 2022, I discovered this UFO watchtower attraction when researching things to do around Great Sand Dunes National Park. I thought that was cool, but I wasn’t planning to stop.

But as I was driving Highway 17, enjoying the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, I started to get sleepy, and that’s when I saw my break. It was on the right side of the road . . . the UFO Watchtower.

I guess I’m going to check out some aliens!

As I pulled in, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. You see, as you go through the gate and look toward your left, you see piles and piles of random things like empty beer bottles, plastic trash, green aliens . . . and the watchtower. There is nothing else out here but the mountains and the highway. It had a strange vibe—as a place should if they’ve had over 200 UFO visits!

The History of UFO Watchtower

The UFO Watchtower was born from a joke. In 1995, owner Judy Messoline and her husband moved to Alamosa and tried to raise cattle. However, they gave up that dream almost five years later since it wasn’t working.

Then, she started to work at a local gas station. At this gas station, the locals talked to her about seeing UFOs. She joked that the area needed a watchtower. One day, a local told her that she needed to create one.

Instead of selling her land, she created the UFO watchtower that opened in 2000. Since then, thousands, including myself, have come to camp or check out the site. It allows cars in for $5 (day use) and $15 (to camp).

UFO Watchtower and Watchtower’s Rock Garden

When you pull in, you drive down a dirt road for five minutes to get to the tower. A guy with a walkie-talkie waits to guide you to the tower after you pay the entrance fee. I didn’t have cash, but he said I could pay at the shop.

The gift shop is next to the tower and the Watchtower’s Rock Garden. I pulled in next to it, a small tan structure shaped like a dome resembling a UFO. Seeing this in a wide-open area with nothing else around was interesting. I wondered, “Was that planned?”

I paid the fee and spoke about UFOs to a woman there. She pulled out a book filled with pictures and stories of sightings people had experienced at this spot. After the chat, I wandered through the small store that was filled with books, DVDs, and gifts.

There is a guest book right before you leave the shop to go into the garden. I signed it and flipped through the pages that held the names of people worldwide who had left their names and messages in this guest book. I thought that was cool.

Remember the piles of trash I saw driving in? Well, that’s actually the Watchtower’s Rock Garden. When you are inside the garden, you see the charm of the “trash,” meaning there are children’s toys, jewelry, books, aliens (naturally), pictures, writings, you name it!

The lady told me to leave something behind in the garden that I wanted to let go of. I didn’t have anything with me, so I wrote something I wanted to let go of on a piece of paper. It was something I had struggled with for a while. It took me a while to find the perfect spot, but I placed my little note inside a jewelry box drawer. I chose this location because if the thing I wanted to let go of ever decided to come here, they probably would not open a jewelry box.

I also heard that this garden is for welcoming the unknown and unorthodox. Believe in whatever you want to believe in, but I do recommend bringing something with you to add to the garden.

Is it silly? Sure, but I tend to like the silliness.

After exploring the vast garden, it was time for me to head up to the tower! The sight from the lookout was stunning; you had a direct view of the sand dunes, which was a treat, and you saw the mountains surrounding it. It was a very clear day, and you could see for miles!

I see why this is a popular spot to come at night to gaze into the stars and to watch for UFOs. Some call this area (San Luis Valley) the Bermuda Triangle of the West since they have a higher siting of UFOs than Roswell, New Mexico. Also, as I mentioned in my post about the sand dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park is an International Dark Sky location, and you’re practically right next to it when you’re here!

Take Away

I would love to come back here and camp for a night or two to see a UFO. It would be a cool experience, for sure. And even if I didn’t, meeting other campers here would be fun.

What about you? Would you want to camp here? Would you like to see a UFO? If you did see one, would you become a believer in the unknown?