---
id: "2111"
name: Los Caminos Antiguos
distance: "129"
duration: 3 to 4 hours to drive the byway.
description: "'The Ancient Roads' lead you to key historical areas in the San Luis Valley--a high, enormous sun-baked flat between the Sangres and the San Juan foothills."
path: agucFlwdeSd@?Cgq@e@U]e@{BeGy@uAw@aAgJqJq@aBk~A?s`F~AibCfAmdPp{@czAzIgJ^ia@~B}m@xDmAc~Dk@ohCSuhAIwaB?urBRklA^inLH_e@DgwBj@yeLEwKe@eGcOemAaCoRCiAN}@z@aApDxFfDzCjBfA|E|AlS~Cl~A|TrEz@fBd@bFdCd|B|tAdD~ArBl@dBVvELpsAXrpDEnvMfDtxARbfAADanARsHd@uHt@yGvCqO`DuKhGeN~yBekEb`@qu@zx@o_BlC{Fx@eCbAmEx@{IbBs_@VeI|Ae[xIyoBbN{yCzBwh@nDsn@X_JpHy~A|FPd_@hDrEPjNFrf@Dbr@Xfk@KdeB^nnHdChaDx@tk@@`k@ZrVCrkAmAtn@eApr@m@xL_@`QwA|TcCbpB{Rp[sCpu@yHvMu@f}@kAbEFvUhBfHr@DrD~AvDVpANpCOzCi@~ByCzH}DbJqFzJ}LrP{HzI_Zr]uEdGuG|LsDxJcD`Ny@zEi@zEoAxNcBjWO`EI`TCtRSx_@w@jzBEz[d@vKVbDpNhoAnAvN\vHDrYIv}BB~rDJjCn@tDxA~DbC`DvCdCtBt@vA\~CP|vCLf@Jv@n@`@bBCdbBL`IbAtOjTtxCv@|Y|EdmCmE`sDDnCxYznFQlG_@bCcVbz@sA`Hy@xKOzvA^nKvDj`@|IlbAbAxNlBfi@bItqBRlLh@baOIdBg@vD}Hbf@QxAMtE?xB^xFrBbV\tBj@rBhAdCtGfKtA`Dj@dCRhBFjB@|cDEjWO|E?j~AC|IO~Fu@jbBEzyBMv`@ndFv{@njCfc@pj@rJf[`F`j@tJxV`EbBLpEBv^mArTKnp@A|H@l@Ft@VlEhGxO`[fG|M|DnM`BfIl@zDpG`p@n@lLJbJB`z@\zbDD~TTpDb@nCvV`mAjAtIx@`HXxD?|GiApH}@jCcArBcDrEgNhQoAfCyAzF]jHEzE^rg@NrjAJxEVrCd@zClAjEdA`CfCxDdTvVhAfBbEtIhBxHf@`Dl@rIfD|x@\xD|Fjd@|AnK|BhStA|[^~VEp`@c@r][lKy@lKWrGFpKSjDoAhFo@lAaAhAkBfBoMlJkH`EuTfOmGlEqD|C_BpBiBrDo@dBmArFSlB[fIaHv~CDlCXdCbBzJ^dFmH`dA?~CHlBt@fLx@nOCfCGrAY~B}@dEkMx\yAzEwAxFg@xDM`BIfEHfIKdBSx@[dAiAzBqFhJe@nAYtA}@nTBhGd@rFbE`ZD|CGjAg@`DgL|a@iBtSYfBoAlEaIpUo@~AyRb_@c@r@gBfBgNzGuG~E{Ax@mBXqJ_@yADiBr@s@j@{D~DgAl@o\tImBx@yAjA{@`AwGnK_AhAiBlA{IlCuB`A{CxBkOfQaL`NmB`BaIzEwAjAuBrCsDzFiArAiA~@iCrAmAVkId@kA^{BlAeWvTaK`KcClCwBxCaMtTaJjM}B~DsC`LqJpVoBfHqC`QyB|OSlEL~Ej@dDn@tBlBzDfApArYxXhNrKrCdDhElDXX^~@b@`Bz@pBf@f@`F~C`AlA~@pCbAhKVjAt@zC~@~BbBnCpAxAhIfHnDdFpCrCrDdBrCbAnCn@pDLx@ZxBbB`@Fx@M^Sf@_AHsAYkAo@s@}@WsBMoCe@}AyA_@s@c@qAyGk^Gu@Ly@N]v@g@x@@RNj@`A@~@Gd@m@`CIv@HlAl@tA~BvDZ~@d@`FV~@n@z@t@XrAGr@YhDyDvC_CjBuBx@k@bAMvDLxCgArAYxBTdAr@\h@r@`CJdAKlFDtDXv@j@r@bA^bF^zClCbAl@l@RdHLj@VnDdDlElC`P|IxBn@fETlCGhIm@nHQ|Dd@~Ad@vDbBhD|Bhd@j\tBdA~GlCxB~BlCvHn@x@fEpDvAtB`@bAZxA|AvMxAxH~AtDrArBrApAlCjBxAl@xA^lCXtCCrBMj^aFfDy@lEeBrAYhBKbEVbEl@vElBtBp@`BRbVlAdCj@|CxAxLbKpIrEbAhAt@`BbB`GxAxDT`AHr@?bDcBvLIdBG`BRdIL`A^~An@rAr@x@r@d@hAXjCEbPsDvC_@hBE~ADpEp@lW|HfFdAhC\vGFhUeB|DA`E`@rE|AzSnKpVzG|CpAdCrBzE|EbBpB`AfCv@dEZ`IXbPUxD_CvPy@zJ}AjIiAtDqC~Ga@~By@bGy@~C}EfIsCfH}AxCcEzFy@pBo@bCYvB?`ERdA~@lCrBxBxGxD`D`Cn@r@n@pAfGbQx@~ClAlGd@|DNrDUjBc@fAe@v@}@l@}Cx@cBDeAReAd@sAdBYt@MjAJrCd@xApAlApAd@|@JjAIbAa@tAeArAsAhBeAdAM|@Ll@VxDrC`DdAnCf@bDlA~AlAhBvBbChFbCpIfBzDjAdBhDnDv@dAj@jAb@lBRfJ^xBX`At@jAvArC^nANhBNzGNz@xAxAlDdAt@v@Rn@LpA?lAPpA^x@n@f@|Br@j@\^l@RdABhAaApIElBXdAfArAbDhBx@tAb@`BhKpo@tC~IzAdDfTpYvAdB
websites:
  - url: https://www.codot.gov/travel/colorado-byways/south-central/los-caminos
    name: Colorado Byways
  - url: https://www.colorado.com/byways/los-caminos-antiguos
    name: Colorado Travel Guide
  - url: https://www.coloradodirectory.com/maps/loscaminos.html
    name: Colorado Vacation Directory
  - url: https://www.americanlegacytours.org/colorado/los-caminos-antiguos-scenic-byway-road-trip/
    name: National Travel Center
  - url: https://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/colorado/caminos-antiguos.php
    name: The Armchair Explorer
attractions:
  - url: https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm
    name: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
  - url: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/monte-vista
    name: Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
  - url: https://www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande
    name: Rio Grande National Forest
designations:
  - BLM Back Country Byway
  - Colorado State Scenic Byway
states:
  - CO
ll:
  - -105.87014799999997
  - 37.46945199999993
bounds:
  - - -106.49976300000003
    - 36.99371000000008
  - - -105.42504099999996
    - 37.666199000000006

---

The Great Sand Dunes are one of nature's most painstaking creations. Hundreds of feet high and more than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean beach, these huge drifting dunes accumulated over the eons as winds gathered and swept sand against the west face of the Sangre de Cristo Range. That slow, determined process reflects the spirit of the San Luis Valley - a high, enormous, sun-baked flat between the Sangres, and the San Juan foothills. Life here would not seem to have changed much since the 1600s, when Spain cast its claim over this region. Los Caminos Antiguos take you to Colorado's oldest surviving community (San Luis, 1851), the oldest church (Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Conejos), and one of its first military posts (Fort Garland). Drive, explore, take your time- there's plenty of it to spare.