GENERAL INFORMATION OF ALAMOSA, COLORADO

Alamosa is located in Southern Colorado, about 160 miles Southwest of Colorado Springs. Alamosa is the home of Adams State College, a state supported co-educational college of approximately 2,000 students. It has an airport with regularly scheduled flights to Denver. According to local Chamber of Commerce, it has 11 major restaurants,  fast food restaurants, 15 shops, 8 inns and motels, an 18 hole golf course, hot springs outdoor community swimming pool, spa, racquetball / handball courts, exercise rooms, etc. and miscellaneous auto repair/ tire stores, glass shops, ski and bike shop, automotive shop, travel business, several banks, builders establishment, etc. 

A major ski area to the west is at Wolf Creek Pass (about 50 miles), which is at an elevation of 10,850 feet. Other ski areas are: Rio Castilla, Cuchara Valley, Conquistador, and Monarch. A wildlife refuge is located 3 miles South-East of Alamosa featuring 11,168 acre refuge boarding the Grande Rio River also provides pleasant walking trails through the town of Alamosa. 

Alamosa is in the center of San Luis Valley, the largest Alpine Valley in the world, situated at an elevation of 7,500 feet. The valley is protected by a mountain range Sangre de Cristo to the East and San Juan mountains to the West. It is about 50 miles wide (East to West) and 125 miles long (North to South). It is the sunniest spot in Colorado and the precipitation averages only 8 inches a year. July and August are the wettest months. In spite of cold winter temperatures, the days in the valley seem warm almost any time of the year. Nights seem cold whether it is in January or July, making it exceptionally nice area to spend summer. The valley is unique in its incredible scenic. 

The San Luis Economic Renewal Committee provides statistics that there are over 115,000 acres of alfalfa grown in the San Luis Valley, 122,000 acres of hay grass, over 50,000 acres of barley, 115,000 acres of oaks. Among the other crops are mentioned: spinach, wheat, quinoa, potatoes, organic vegetables, certified feed grai, and certified seed potato. Also production of cattle hogs, sheep, horses. The valley also has 400 jobs in the timber industry: $14,000 cords are cut annually. Jobs are also in timber production (2,700 annually), production of honey, mushrooms, and raising the buffalo – more precisely the “Rocky Mountain Bison”, current population is bout 80,000 per American Bison Association. 

For more information about Alamosa, CO., go to www.alamosa.com  & www.alamosachamber.com  or call the ALAMOSA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE @ 719-589-3681.