Sacred White Shell Mountain

We stayed a week and half in late June 2019. The camping areas are very easy to find and are directly off Lake Como Road which is off Hwy 150(main road that leads to Great Sand Dunes NP). There is a BLM sign at the turn to the right. The GPS coordinates will take you to the correct area. There are several camping areas as you drive down the road. There are all on the left side. There is a large dip right after you turn and before the sign. Make sure you are going slow and you shouldn’t have any problems. The road is washboard sand and dirt but overall is not bad to drive down, especially if you go slow. I think any size rig would be fine to travel to the first three camping areas. Each camping area could probably fit 3-5 rigs and some tenters without being on top of each other. The first camping area is about¼ mile down the road. Not a bad area, but it was a bit busier when we arrived(probably due to the proximity to the road). We went to the second area which is probably another¼ mile down the road. That area was busy as well, but we liked it better(more grass than dirt). We setup camp in the back of the area and were able to get level without blocks! Most everyone else needed blocks, but they didn’t seem to have much problem leveling. As you continue down the road, its condition does worsen. Tenters and small vans have more options towards the mountain. We did see a decent size Airstream make it to the fourth pullout area, but we didn’t feel comfortable taking our 30 ft travel trailer past the second section. We did walk down to the third pullout and it was not as level or as big, so we were happy with our decision to stick to the second section. The road was a bit worse from areas#2-#3, but still probably doable for most rigs. After that it starts to get a bit rough, at least in our opinion. Cell reception was good, we had 2-3 bars 4G LTE on AT&amp;T. We use hotspots for internet and have AT&amp;T and Verizon and both worked well. No amenities at all so pack in and out. The area is about 20-25 minutes to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We were able to get potable water there(at the dump station) and dump as we were leaving. They also have dumpsters we used to dispose of our trash(and the trash of inconsiderate tent campers who left over two bags of trash for us to collect for them). The town of Alamosa is about 30 minutes away and has places for groceries, propane, and anything else you may need during your stay. The camping areas have a wonderful view of Blanca Peak. If you are in better shape than we are, you can attempt the summit while there. There are no trees or any obstructions on any of the pullouts. Perfect for solar, but also no protection from wind and blowing sand. It was windy several times when we were there, and it will blow sand and dust in the RV. Nothing too bad but be aware. The weather was great until the last few days when the high was almost 90. Small rain events happen frequently in the afternoon, but they never last long and some don’t make it to the area, but you can see them in the distance. The area gets busy on the weekend, but during the week it slows down. Everyone was respectful and enjoyed the quiet. The biggest noise was the free-range cows in the morning making a raucous and using the RV as a back scratcher. They didn’t visit every morning but were there several times bright and early. Dark skies there. You can see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Overall, it was a great stay and we would stay again if ever back in the area.

Great BLM spot near Great Sand Dunes National Park



**Campground Review:**

We chose this BLM campground because it is right outside of Great Sand Dunes National Park.  There are several sites along Lake Como Road.  The type of vehicle you have determines how far up the road/secluded you can get.  We were there over Memorial Day Weekend and it was packed.  However, there are tons of sites and plenty of space for all!  We camp in a RV and there were plenty of accessible sites for us to choose from us well.  The road in is really bumpy so we parked in the first parking area on the left as you come in and were happy with it.  This is a popular area for off-roading so be prepared for some traffic heading up Lake Como Road to hit the trails if you are there on a weekend.  The only downside to this area was the CRAZY winds that blew through.  There were gusts of 67 mph one day!  The views are amazing in this spot.  And, even better – our Verizon hotspot was strong enough for us to both work all week.  When the weather was clear it seemed no matter where we looked, we had mountain views.  Not to mention the spectacular view of Blanca Peak.  It’s also amazing being so close to the National Park.  We were really happy with the location and thoroughly enjoyed our time in the park.  We were really happy with this free spot!

**Product Review:**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get to test products.  During this stay, I tested [Éclipse Sun Protective Clothing’s neck gaiter](https://eclipseglove.com/collections/sun-neck-gaiter/products/neck-gaiter-classic).  I knew the sun would be strong when we were hiking the dunes, so we wanted to protect ourselves.  We also expected the wind to blow the sand around so we figured this would be the perfect product to protect us from both.  Boy, were we right!  The gaiters were perfect.  They come with an info sheet showing you the different ways you can wear your neck gaiter.  I assumed I would just wear it around my neck as planned.  However, prior to hiking the dunes we hiked a Zapata Falls and I was a little chilly.  I pulled the neck gaiter out and wore it like a headband and LOVED it.  It was super easy to get comfortable and in a good spot and it was nice knowing my hairline was protected from damaging UPF rays.  Once we started hiking the dunes, I assumed I would pull it back down around my neck.  However, I loved it so much as a headband I didn’t want to move it.  It did a great job of keeping the sand out of my ears which I am so thankful for.  My husband wore his around his neck and he too was really happy with it.  This is versatile product has earned a permanent spot in our day packs.  Way to go Éclipse!



Ranger Review:  Éclipse UPF Neck Gaiter at Sacred White Shell Mountain

We drove up the road for a while to find a higher up spot. High clearance is definitely needed, dirt road turns into curvy, rocky road with multiple spots on both sides. There were plenty of already made fire pits. The views are amazing and even though we saw several other people, we never heard them. There was a few 4wheelers and dirt bikes. All around great, free spot.

Fun, rocky road up the mountain

We stayed in the first pull out to the left of the road. Watch the entry off CO 150 as it is very narrow. No hookups but no fee. All was well until the wind came up suddenly and we were in a brief windstorm with sand all in our trailer.

Sandy desert like

Entrance located between mile marker 3 &amp; 4. The road is, I think, actually a really nice dirt road for about the first 1-2 miles in. After that the road turns into bigger rocks, I was definitely not taking my 2wd van up. Beautiful spot, the weekend was busy but it wasn't a problem for me and it was still quiet at night! Highly recommend this spot! I stayed for 6 days and at 3 different campsites.

Beautiful free spot

We love the place, some people took up a lot of space and blocked areas. Verizon was good 2-3 bars with LTE.
Some gnats, had to go up a mile or so, to get a spot...1

Great for overnight, crowded

Great spot right off the highway! Plenty of space for all kinds of vehicles / set ups and a beautiful view of the mountain. 

Great spot when Zapata is full!

Very private, beautiful scenery. Tons of spots available but hardly anyone was there. We stayed two nights. No wild life except a lizard my kids found. Saved for future reference. 

We loved this spot. 

I have big desire for wide open space with lots of room and no road noises.  This fits the bill great. Recommend and would give 5 but save that for really special spots.  This is a great hotel. :) 

Great overnight spot

We have been camping here 4 times now, and never tire of the beauty of this special place. Lots of room to find a private place, and no fees.

Perfect Spot for quiet camping

Dirt road with wide views.  If you like dispersed camping this is for you. 

Wide open country

Awesome views and a trail up the mountain with an even better view of down below. Fire pits available as well 


beautiful views

Super easy to find + stay. We stayed right off the road in the circle. No one else came around. Would stay here again!

Super easy BLM

We and my buddies came here after being turned down from the Mosca campsite. The sites here are huge and are equipped with a fire pit. Our one main problem was that because the site was so flat, the wind could get pretty rough. Still able to build a solid fire with the help of a stone barrier. Definitely recommend for free camping

Great campsite, very flat

Within 20 minutes of great sand dunes and the closet Restaurants/ Groceries/Gas stations. Great cell reception there is a cell tower in the nearest city. Amazing views throughout the day. Entry way has a small drop off be careful if in a low car. 


Great views! 

We spent two nights here, in our camper van, while visiting the national park. It’s proximity is so great. 
The area is easy to find, big and open and nearly all up the very upper parts are navigable by a regular car. There are some upper parts that could require 4WD and high clearance. 
Our only complaints were how dusty is was and that there really were no trees so potentially not much privacy depending whom is camping around you. If you don’t have a bathroom….this could also be an issue. Not much in the way of tree cover if you are going in the wilderness.  
We chose sites on the north side of the area, closer to the park and it seemed more private. 

Super close to Great Sand Dunes

Located about 15 miles south of Great Sand Dunes NP on well maintained BLM land. There are plenty of sites for every kind of camper. Loads of trails for horses, atv's, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing.

Can't believe this is free

Very nice spot near Sand Dunes NP. Free and close to the beautiful mountains. 

It's free

This dispersed camping is top notch. Nice sites with amazing views. A little windy but that’s to be expected near the dunes.

Great Dispresed camping near the Great Sand Dune

Very easy to pull in even late at night. High desert so lots of exposure. Beautiful night sky easy enough to have space from others

Beautiful and easy

Free camping only 15-20 mins away from great sand dunes national park. There were all sorts of campers utilizing this area—large rvs/buses, vans, roof top tents, tent campers. It is wide open so you can see other campers but lots of room to spread out so we still felt alone. The wind did pick up around 9pm and was absolutely crazy for a few hours. The best part is gorgeous views of Blanca peak and the STARS! Some of the most incredible I’ve ever seen.

Beautiful Free Camping

15 minutes from Great Sand Dunes, plenty of pull off spots, we have a 39ft fifth wheel and found a great spot. Good cell service with Verizon. Beautiful views of Mt. Blanca and the surrounding ranges! Right down the road from Zapata Falls. Road is in good shape, zero issues! 

Excellent location! 

Arrived just after 6pm and still able to find a spot. Watched the sun set with dinner and took pictures of the night sky. Best stay and so peaceful!

Fabulous stay

Feels remote but close access to main road and bigger towns. Breezy if you don’t drive up to the bushes. Road can get a little rough. Nice dark skies. Super quiet except for the coyotes, as it should be.

Coyote silence

Awesome lil site, we came in late and found a spot easily. The road is a tad rocky towards the back, but nothing too crazy. Sunset was beautiful and we got to see a herd of deer walk by :)

Worth the rocky road!

Loved everything about this remote spot! The sites were super clean and easy to access. There wasn’t much traffic. You’re down the road from the dunes and about 30 minutes outside Alamosa and other  stores. I used the dump station at the sand dunes canoe ground. It was only $8 to fill up water and dump. My cats absolutely loved the area! It was a giant play box for them. Starlink works great. I use Xfinity for phone service and it works ok. Will definitely be back mid Summer. I have a 20ft camper and people were easily driving 5th wheels around here. 


Peaceful 

The best part about this area, aside from the views &amp; the sunsets, is the access to the sand dunes natl park. We completely stumbled upon this area and it turned out to be one of the coolest day trips we’ve ever had. Highly highly recommend checking out the sand dunes. If you go early enough they tend to waive the entrance fee. I recommend driving up into the bushes at the camping site for more privacy, but the road is very rocky. Try and do any bathroom stuff prior to staying because digging cat holes out here is tough. It even hailed on us briefly so watch out for crazy weather! Very cool BLM land!!

Great spot & excellent location

We traveled down on Saturday from Denver to Great Sand Dunes and then hit up this convenient spot around 5pm and stayed for one night.  Was extremely well positioned being 15 min from the park and about 5 min down the road from Zapata Falls which is a quick and easy hike.  Upon entering it was really impressed with the layout.  Tons of spaces with ample room between vehicles and you have the choice of being down low where it's more flat vs. up into the hill side a bit.  We probably went about a mile up before picking a spot off the fairly rocky and bumpy road.  The road is actually pretty well maintained and there are spots all over the place which was great.  Most spots looked to come with a fire pit if desired but was rainy for us.  

  

Overall, would highly recommend getting up into the bushes just for a bit more privacy as well as shelter from some of the wind.  The weather does whip in fairly fast and most locations are pretty exposed so just be prepared to withstand some strong wind but it does come in spurts and won't last forever.  The campsites were great though and offered some fantastic views of the plains as well as up towards the mountains.  We will definitely be coming back due to its location and space!

Tons of space, great proximity to GSDNP, but fairly exposed!

Stayed here after visiting great sand dunes national park! Big lot with lots of places to park. Some mosquitos at dusk but got better at night. stunning views and amazing sunset. Not to mention that at night you could see every star in the sky. I stargazed until it was time to go to sleep. Also a couple kangaroo rats were running around my campsite and it made me so happy, since I was really hoping to see one while I was in this area. Anyways, Zapata falls is also nearby if you’re looking for a quick little hike to kill some time while you stay here. 4 stars because there was a bunch of trash and cow patties everywhere. Also saw a horned lizard under a cow patty!

Amazing sunset, amazing stargazing

Quick decision to stay on the BLM lands near High Sand Dunes. Very quiet, even with many other campers in the area. 

BLM 

It's basically a rocky road up the side of Mt. Blanco with lots of places to pull off and camp. Suitable for anything from the most rock-fearing to rock-ready. AT&amp;T had a solid two+ bars. The sunset and lightning storms in the distance were breathtaking. Definitely a great choice for a night's boondocking if that's what you need.

Close to Great Sand Dunes, easy and free

FYI in the spring summer is way more fun to sleep inside the sand dunes with a parking permit you buy at that lot. The hike up into the dunes is epic but yes this is free and last minute high capacity. Sand dunes camping has a 10 or 15 person per day


The Dyrt has a weird seemingly inaccurate map however the road leading out to the dunes did in fact had a dirt road that branches right off towards the mountain.


The Dyrt map says Mt Blanco road but Apple Maps says lake Como road.  They both branch off highway 150. There is obvious signs of dispersed camping used ie firepit and a randomly left behind camping item

The weather I was very skeptical about. thought i would have to book a hotel. Last time I went camping per review off of Idaho springs down Fall River road it was snowed in even tho the main road was fine. After I got through the very snowy and icy mountain pass from Walsenburg to for garland it became very dry and there was no more snow.



