The View From the UFO Watchtower: San Luis Valley, Colorado

The View From the UFO Watchtower
San Luis Valley, Colorado

Rumors of UFOs in the night sky: reports of cattle mutilations on the valley floor: an odd, one-story platform to watch over it all. The UFO Watchtower in the San Luis Valley overlooks Colorado’s largest alpine valley and its eccentric collection of attractions and tourists.

Located 2.5 miles north of Hooper, Colorado the UFO Watchtower on Highway 17 is easy to find- just look for signs welcoming UFOs and UFO lovers alike. The Great Sand Dunes, along with several other sites in the San Luis Valley, are known as hotspots for alien activity, so over a decade ago Judy Messoline built the UFO Watchtower to get in on the outer space action. The walls of the domed visitor center at the UFO Watchtower are covered with pictures and articles about the valley’s other worldly visitors, and you should feel free to add your own experiences to the chronicles. The tower is only one-story, but on the flat valley floor one story is all you need rise above the rest- though it is anticlimactic if you drive up expecting a real tower. The surrounding yard is decorated with an assortment of alien paraphernalia and odd-ball offerings visitors have left at this alien alter. Beyond the colorful yard the view goes on for miles and miles and miles all the way to the Great Sand Dunes and Sangre De Cristo Mountains beyond. Judy is fanatical about everyone signing the guest book, and only asks for a small donation to tour her unique attraction. Other popular sights in the San Luis Valley include the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado Gator Farm, and Joyful Journey Hot Springs.

For other amazing views of Colorado read my series The View From…