Rustic Rook Resort
Stay in Mosca at Rustic Rook Resort, a glam glamp site just 19 miles from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Arrive here while traveling the Los Caminos Antiguos scenic and historic byway, a serpentine driving path through southern Colorado’s Mystic San Luis Valley.
At Rustic Rook, it’s all about glamping. Take your pick of fully furnished tents that boast king beds, phone chargers, wood stoves and Wi-Fi access. You’ll enjoy clean bathrooms — there’s no digging a cat hole here — plus s’mores by the campfire at night. Wake up in the morning to complimentary hot breakfast — you’ll have your choice of sausage breakfast burritos or oatmeal to fuel your day. Consider booking the “estate” tent for your own private bathroom with a steamy hot shower, a foldout couch, comfortable indoor and outdoor chairs and a private deck perfect for watching the blazing oranges and pinks of the sun.
What makes it special?
We’re going with the eyepopping views of both the skyscraping Sangre de Cristo Mountains and wind-blown Great Sand Dunes straight from your canvas tent door.
The most Colorado thing about this place
It gets cold at night no matter the season so make sure you dress in layers. Wood is provided by the resort so you can light a fire to warm your tootsies up. Rustic Rook, handily, offers a packing list on their site.
Coolest amenity
Reserve a portioned-out grill package that simplifies dinner for a hungry group. Take your pick of burgers or veggie burgers (with buns), chicken or steak. It’ll come with prepped veggies and seasoning to add.
Most unexpected amenity
There’s a fenced-in dog park perfect for fur babies. Need we say more? See other summer dog-friendly travel ideas.
Top sensory encounter you’ll experience
We’re talking uninhibited views of the Milky Way since there’s basically no light pollution around these parts. Post up around the blazing campfire, savoring your gooey graham-cracker s’mores, as you gaze up at all the grandeur.
Room with the best view
It’s not just one room — it’s all the glamping tents boasting colorful mountain panoramas that’ll make you sit up in bed and say “WOW!”
Our favorite traveler review
“I really can't say enough good things about Rustic Rook. My friend and I stayed here in May of 2021, and we had the best possible experience. The tents are pristinely clean, and the beds and bedding seemed brand new. We experienced phenomenal sunrises, sunsets and daily views, but enjoyed the comforts one might hope to achieve when camping. The tents include lanterns, phone chargers and a stove to keep warm during the cold nights; the toilets and showers were hot and squeaky clean; and the complementary coffee, breakfast burritos and evening s'mores were just the delicious fuel we needed for our days of hiking and sledding the sand dunes. To top it off, the staff at Rustic Rook were super friendly and full of helpful tips for planning our days in and around Great Sand Dunes National Park. I particularly enjoyed their positive and encouraging music selection in the lobby tent. I will definitely be back!” — Rachel, Tripadvisor
Things to see & do nearby
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is the main draw, so go here at least for a day and sled down the dunes with a rental you snagged at the Rook. Hike to see the cascading Zapata Falls rush gracefully through a rugged, rock-strewn crevasse. See gators, tortoises, pythons and more up close at Mosca’s Colorado Gator Reptile Park, where you can even take a reptile-handling class. Drive the Los Caminos Antiguos byway all the way to the New Mexico border, stopping along the way in Colorado’s oldest town — San Luis — and at Colorado’s oldest continuously operating business, R&R Market, now known as the San Luis Peoples Market.
Uncover San Luis Valley history with your kids with this family-friendly itinerary.
Photos courtesy of Rustic Rook Resort
