The annual Colorado Byways Symposium will be held in Alamosa in May, allowing participants to experience the scenic wonders of the San Luis Valley from Zapata Falls to the Conejos River.
The Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area will play host for the symposium that runs from May 1-4. More than 200 guests, invited in by the Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission, are expected to attend.
The symposium is supported by The National Scenic Byways Foundation, which also will have representation.
“The San Luis Valley is a landscape speckled in a diverse cultural richness that dates back over 11,000 years. As you crest one of the four major road passages into the San Luis Valley, your eyes lay sight on the majestic open skies; it is as if you traveled back in time,” is how Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area is promoting the event.
The agenda for the multi-day symposium kicks off with a welcoming event at the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex & Visitor Center on Wednesday, May 1, followed by community tours through Antonito, San Luis and Fort Garland, and an evening presentation at the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve.
Attendees will also experience the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area’s annual Cinco de Mayo Block Party in downtown Alamosa on Friday, May 3, with a closing session scheduled for May 4 at the Rio Grande Farm Park.
The Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways program has been around since 1989. The Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission has helped guide the development of the state’s roadways that have exceptional scenic, ecological, cultural, and historic attributes.
One of the designated byways is the Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway, which takes visitors along a 29-mile trek stretching from Romeo to San Luis west to east and Mosca to Antonito north to south.
Last year, the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area was recognized by the National Scenic Byway Foundation as the 2023 winner of the Byway Organization Award for Interpretation. The award recognized the heritage area for the interpretative signage that marks the byway.
You can find registration details and more information on the Colorado Byways Symposium here.