Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand Dunes

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Filming in Southern Colorado

Southern Colorado has the most beautiful locations and scenery for your filming project.  From the tallest sand dunes in the US (Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve) to the old west feel of the small towns, the San Luis Valley has over 8,000 square miles of what you're looking for.  The Great Sand Dunes covers 38 square miles with the tallest, and steepest, sand dunes in America.  San Luis is the oldest town in Colorado, and is relatively unchanged in the last 150 years.  It features Stations of the Cross, a series of bronze depictions of the last hours of Jesus life, and a beautiful cathedral.  On the opposite side of the valley, the old mining town of Creede was once home to 40,000 miners in the 1890's, and many of the old mine structures still remain intact.  Nestled between 2,000 foot cliffs and surrounded by winding roads, the San Juan mountains and the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, the Creede area has several guest ranches with horses and other great ammenities to make your filming experience a success.
In addition to the incentives for filming in an economically depressed area, the San Luis Valley has reasonable room rates, affordable but excellent cuisine, and the friendliest and most helpful locals you'll ever meet.  No permits are required to film in most areas, and Colorado now offers a 10 % cash rebate to qualifying productions. 
Right on the New Mexico border, the small town of Antonito features the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, the only authentic Narrow Gauge Railroad.  It was used in the opening scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana's childhood home was in Antonito and is now a Bed and Breakfast.  From there to Saguache on the North end of the Valley, you'll find hundreds of locations with authentic farms and ranches with no powerlines or signs of modern life, perfect for Westerns.    Thousands of acres of National Forest, lakes, rivers, 4 whell drive roads, and some of the most spectacular 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado are available as well as Penitente Canyon, world famous for it's technical rock climbing areas and beautiful sunsets. 
Alamosa and Monte Vista are the largest towns in the area.  They are centrally located and have dozens of suitable hotels with rates 10 to 50% cheaper than comprable hotels in New Mexico.  They both have National Wildlife Refuges, fabulous pro golf courses and access to the Rio Grande River.  Alamosa is also home to the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad.  Fort Garland is home to the Fort Garland Museum which was one of the earliest forts in the area.  Kit Carson served here.  In case you haven't noticed, the whole area is rich with cultural heritage and many of the original structures, like the first church in Colorado, are still in use.
Some of the other area attractions include the world's only UFO Watchtower, several hot springs and geothermal pools, and Colorado Gators Reptile Park.  Colorado Gators is home to Morris the Gator who starred in Happy Gilmore, Dr. Doolittle, Interview with A Vampire, Eraser, and dozens of other movies and commercials.  The Park also has other species available for film projects such as Rattlesnakes, Pythons, large lizards, turtles, parrots, ostriches, emus, fish and more.  The three tropical greenhouses are perfect for rainforest scenes and Colorado Gators has hosted film crews from Discovery, Animal Planet, 20/20, CNN,  MSNBC, Travel Channel, and more.  For more information and links to valley sites go to http://www.coloradogators.com/.
Representing the San Luis Valley area in South-Central Colorado
208 Edgemont Blvd.
Alamosa, CO 81102
Bill Werner, Executive Director
719-580-5120
bill@filmsoutherncolorado.comMary Hoffman, Coordinator
719-588-8750
mary@filmsoutherncolorado.comLocation Description and Features :Colorado ’s San Luis Valleyis the largest alpine valley in the world, situated between the
Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges. This valley
covers about 8,000 square miles, and has a wide variety of
geographic diversity, having mountains, plains, desert chico
and sage land, lakes, canyons, and forests, all easily accessible.
Of particular note is the Great Sand Dunes National Park,
which brings massive hills of sand to a pocket at the foot of a
mountain and the volcanic ash tuff of the Wheeler Geologic
Area
.Classic-style coal-
fired steam trains are still in use in the area
in addition to standard rail trains, and some sections
use historically accurate narrow gauge track. The San
Luis Valley is consistently sunny, seeing an average of
320 days of sun each year. The valley has a very strong
agricultural presence, with many farms and ranches
throughout. The Rio Grande River runs through the
valley. Many small towns dot the landscape.
Airport/Transportation: The San Luis Valley is serviced by
the San Luis Valley Regional Airport. This airport holds
several flights to and from Denver International Airport
daily, and is located within the city limits of Alamosa, the
most centrally located city in the San Luis Valley. Rental
Cars are easily available. The valley is also easily accessible
from New Mexico.