Directions:

From I 285 in the San Luis Valley, east of Saguache, head south on State Hwy 17 if you are coming from the north or turn right on County Rd T if you are coming from the south. From County Road T, follow it wast for a long way. As you are approaching Crestone, make the following turns: right on Camino Baca Grande, right on Camino Real, left on Wagon Wheel Road, right on Camino del Rey, left on Cottonwood Creek Road, left on Rainbow Trout Road to the entrance and parking lot.

Hike Description:

The Crestone Ziggurat is an interesting monument and makes for an oddly different hike than you usually find in Colorado.  The ziggurat sits above a small hill just outside the town of Crestone and the structure offers tremendous Sangre De Cristo and San Luis Valley views.  Deeper meaning may be found here depending on your particular spiritual inclination.  For some this is merely a hike to a unique viewpoint, for others, this area offers an opportunity for more religious or spiritual enlightenment.   

The monument itself was built in 1978 as a place of private meditation by Najeeb Halaby, father of Queen Noor of Jordan.  The structure is based on ziggurats that were constructed in Mesopotamia around 5,000 B.C..  The hill on which the ziggurat sits is part of lands owned and administered by Karma Thegsum Tashi Gomang (KTTG).  This land is open to the public so please be respectful of the land and the monument when visiting. 

A sandy 1.3 mi (RT) trail takes you up the hill and back down to the parking area through scrub brush hills common to the San Luis Valley.  At the ziggurat you can climb the spiral ramp leading to the open top and a commanding view.  It’s not very tall so fear not acrophobics…  Next to the ziggurat is a small bench in the shade to sit and relax.  Continue along the trail as it winds down the other end of the hill and back to the parking lot. 

This is a beautiful area and a unique landmark that not many Coloradans are aware of.  If you are exploring the San Luis Valley or visiting Crestone, this is a worthy addition to your hiking itinerary.