Colorado's Coolest Roadside Attraction Is A Surreal Watchtower Just Outside Of Great Sand Dunes National Park

The Western states are hotbeds for alien tourism. Throughout Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, you'll find all kinds of roadside alien attractions, from gas stations filled with little green creatures to towns full of extra terrestrial themes throughout like Roswell, New Mexico's most iconic alien destination. Colorado's arguably coolest roadside attraction is located just outside of Great Sand Dunes National Park and is a site where many visitors have claimed to have seen a UFO.

Located a 30-minute drive from the entrance to Great Sand Dunes National Park, this iconic pit stop is right on Colorado State Highway 17. This roadside attraction can be visited during the day or at night (it and the National Park are in an official dark sky zone), and it benefits from sharing proximity with the park's nighttime accommodations. Accessible by car, this is a great spot to stop if you're going to the National Park or passing through the area. Driving through this part of the country is your best bet. The closest major airport to begin your journey is Denver International Airport, four hours away, where you can rent a car.

In Alamosa, where the watchtower is located, you'll find everything from camping to glamping and resorts. Rustic Rook Resort Glampground is less than 20 minutes from Great Sand Dunes. The resort is made up of furnished glamping tents, complete with beds and bathrooms with hot water. If you're looking for a more rustic experience, there are several campgrounds and RV parks dotted around the National Park. There is also a campground inside the park. The Piñon Flats campground is open April through October, has 88 sites available, and is $20 per vehicle.

This spot has one purpose: Keeping an eye out for alien activity. The UFO watchtower in Alamosa, Colorado, draws in curious tourists and serious extraterrestrial seekers. The watchtower itself isn't very tall, so this isn't the place to stop if you're looking for extreme views or beauty –– just a quirky story. On the grounds, you'll find a watchtower, museum, gift shop, and vortex gardens, where visitors are welcome to leave behind trinkets. It may seem like an overwhelming amount of stuff, but past visitors note that it is interesting to check out what others have decided to leave behind.

The site is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, but children under 6 years old can visit for free. Camping is permitted on-site here, if the idea of being a very obvious target for alien abduction doesn't bother you. Campsites are $20 per night, and you don't need to make a reservation in advance. Even if you don't spend the night, you can expect to experience conversation about sightings and abductions with staff, weird objects on display like the bones of Snippy the Horse (an artifact that appeared on the show "Ancient Aliens"), and, of course, aliens. Some items the site still needs are listed on their website, including heavy-duty metal detectors, military night vision equipment, weather balloons, "BIG" satellite dishes, and moon rocks. If you have any of those in your trunk, feel free to bring them in.

Given its location in the middle of nowhere (essentially), Colorado, most tourists who visit the UFO watchtower are on their way to or from Great Sand Dunes National Park. Famous for its Sahara-desert style dunes that stretch on for miles under the Sangre de Cristo mountains, this is one of the most unique national parks out west. And the drive through Alamosa, a spot considered to be a charming gateway city in the high desert of Colorado, is a great way to access it.

Only here can you stand on the tallest dunes in North America. Sandboarding and sand sledding are popular activities in the park, which you can't experience almost anywhere else in the country. Boards and sleds are not available to rent in the park, so you should plan to rent equipment nearby before arriving. Rentals are available 4 miles outside of the park at the Oasis Store or back in Alamosa.

The park is open all day, every day, and no advanced registration or permit is needed to come in. Given the interesting landscape of the park, you'll need attire and footwear suitable for mountains, sand, and water, should you choose to indulge in the Medano Creek. Camping is available in the park, one mile north of the visitors center at the Piñon Flats Campground, which has bathrooms with running water, toilets, and sinks for washing dishes. There are also outdoor showers available during the summer to wash off all that sand. Campsites must be reserved in advance.