Monte Vista Crane Festival

Late in February, sandhill cranes, the San Luis Valley’s oldest visitors, begin their annual trek from south to north, stopping off near the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to load up on fuel. For millions of years, the sandhills have been spending their "Spring Break" in Colorado’s Valley of the Cranes and more recently, wildlife watchers have been drawn to wonder at this phenomenal natural spectacle.

Crane watchers come from far and wide to join the celebration at the Monte Vista Crane Festival. While the festival offers outstanding opportunities for celebrating and understanding cranes and other wildlife, the common denominator that brings visitors back year after year is the 20,000 or so greater sandhill cranes and a few thousand lesser sandhills, that really put on a show for each other and visitors, too.

The festival hosts wildlife experts, local naturalists and biologists who present educational workshops and guided bus tours to the nearby refuge and adjacent farmlands provide visitors with the opportunity to view this spectacle up close and personal. Special tours feature raptor identification, sunset trips to view cranes and visits to closed areas of the refuge for Crane Fest participants.

Dinner with live entertainment, a pancake breakfast, local restaurants and concessions at the craft fair provide sustenance for happy crane watchers. Motels and B & Bs fill up weeks in advance, so plan ahead!