Date Hiked: December 29, 2022

Distance: 1.5 mi (RT)

Elevation Gain: Minimal

Elevation Min/Max: 7,523 to 7,531 ft

Trailhead Lat/Long: 37.57071, -105.68118

Managing Agency: Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Fee: None

Directions: (From BLM Website)

From Alamosa, travel east on US-160, then turn left onto Road S116, which becomes Tyler Avenue. Turn right onto Twomile Road/Road 2S/9th Street and follow the signs for Blanca Wetlands.

Hike Description:

Colorado’s San Luis Valley is a very special place.  Aside from Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Colorado Alligator Farm, not many Coloradans visit the valley except to drive through on their way to other parts of the state.  Most hikers go to the Sangres or cross over to the San Juans, but at the end of 2022, I was lucky enough to spend a few days exploring and hiking around the valley and it was a wonderful trip. My main mission on this trip was to try and take some sunset photos of reflections of the Mt. Blanca massif in a pond in the valley.  Happily, I was able to achieve this goal along the Mallard Ponds Trail in the Blanca Wetlands, and the results are some of my favorite photos from the past few years. 

The Blanca Wetlands is a BLM Habitat Conservation Area in the heart of the valley.  The area consists of pond after pond with trails criss-crossing and circling all over.  There are endless loops you can make, North/South Mallard Pond Loop is a great option for a shorter hike in the wetlands.  

Kind of confusing so stay with me on this…The hike starts at the North Mallard Trailhead, but the loop mostly consists of the South Mallard Trail.  Directly east of the trailhead is a short boardwalk and trail called the Blanca Wetlands HC Trail, that circles a small pond smd returns to the trailhead.  If you approach this loop clockwise, then head straight on the North Mallard Trail.  Make a right at the next junction and another right at the junction after that onto the South Mallard Trail.  Two more rights on the South Mallard Trails will take you back to the trailhead for a 1 ½ mile hike.  

This is a short version of what could be a much longer hike, there are so many options here that you can basically just wander around until you feel like you’ve had enough.  The entire area has fantastic views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, especially the Blanca Massif and its three 14ers.