Zapata Falls
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Zapata Falls is a waterfall in Colorado, at a modelled elevation of 2,878 m. Blanca Peak stands 4,374 m to the southeast, 4.7 miles off. The nearest named place is Twin Peaks, a peak 2.7 miles away. 102 named places lie within 25 miles, 58 of them named summits.
The story
Zapata Falls is a waterfall located in the San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Bureau of Land Management land adjacent to Rio Grande National Forest and south of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Alamosa County, Colorado. The waterfall has a drop of about 30 feet (9 m). Access to this waterfall entails a mildly steep 0.5-mile (800 m) hike. Viewing the falls requires fording the stream and climbing rocks. Black swifts nest near the falls, one of the few known breeding sites for this species in Colorado.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q38831, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
102 named places within 25 miles
- Twin Peaks: 2.7 mi
- California Peak: 3.0 mi
- Ellingwood Point: 4.2 mi
- Blanca Peak: 4.7 mi
- Little Bear Peak: 4.7 mi
- San Luis Lake SWA: 11.2 mi
- Blanca Park: 12.7 mi
- Fort Garland Park: 14.7 mi
- Veteran's Park: 15.4 mi
- Mosca Community Park: 17.8 mi
- Denton Spring: 5.8 mi
- Mosca Spring: 8.3 mi
- Patton Spring: 22.7 mi
- Bailey Spring: 22.9 mi
- Trover Spring: 22.9 mi
- Hooper Town Park: 19.8 mi
- Welcome to Hooper: 19.9 mi
- Veterans Memorial: 20.0 mi
- Welcome to Hooper: 20.2 mi
- Japanese Memorial Garden: 20.5 mi
- Rock dedicated to L.B. "Bill" Casselman: 4.0 mi
- Grand Sand Dunes Sign: 5.2 mi
- Colorado Gators Reptile Park: 18.4 mi
- Denver and Rio Grande Western Number 169: 19.8 mi
- Great Sand Dunes National Park: 12.6 mi
- Rio Grande Healthy Living Park: 19.5 mi
- Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center: 15.0 mi
- San Luis Valley Museum: 19.9 mi
- Hansen Bluff: 18.2 mi
- Windy Point: 20.7 mi
- Duncan: 17.9 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Zapata Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blanca Peak | SE 128° | 4,374 m | 4.7 mi |
| Crestone Peak | N 356° | 4,359 m | 24.1 mi |
| East Crestone Peak | N 356° | 4,359 m | 24.1 mi |
| Crestone Needle | N 357° | 4,329 m | 23.9 mi |
| Humboldt Peak | N 360° | 4,289 m | 24.7 mi |
| Ellingwood Point | SE 127° | 4,282 m | 4.2 mi |
| Mount Lindsey | ESE 112° | 4,282 m | 6.4 mi |
| Little Bear Peak | SE 140° | 4,280 m | 4.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:07 | 18:40 | 19:14 |
| June solstice | 05:42 | 19:49 | 20:28 |
| September equinox | 06:51 | 18:26 | 19:01 |
| December solstice | 07:14 | 16:07 | 16:48 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 22 | 28 | 36 | 43 | 52 | 63 | 66 | 64 | 58 | 46 | 34 | 23 |
| Precip in | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Great Sand Dunes NP & Preserve, 8 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/595214868
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to Zapata Falls.
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