Looking at More CHEAP Land Park a Camper On (LEGALLY!) 

San Luis Valley used to be sooo beautiful. But has been chopped up into small lots. The lack of building code has created a mess of shacks and falling down RVs and piles of tires and trash. Be warned: the wind blows like crazy and it gets extremely cold. Water is a big issue. There’s a reason it’s been historically empty.

I owned land near the first parcel for ten years and finally decided to donate it to the Catholic homeless shelter in Alamosa, CO. The problem with Costilla county is the fact that although you could be on a borderline nonexistent dirt road with no neighbors next to a cattle ranch where tons of cow manure get deposited on the ground each year the county engineer will most certainly not grant you an exception to their ridiculous building codes which eliminated provisions for outhouses with 400 gallon pump out tanks in favor of forcing everyone to install a store bought septic system with tile field and drill a well to run it even though a composting or incinerating toilet would really make more sense considering the water table there which is not really conducive to running flush toilets. They will however allow you to live in a quonset hut which is nice. Then also it is simply too cold during the winter considering that this is the highest alpine valley pretty much anywhere and goes down to 40 below Fahrenheit during the winter. I got 5 acres for $3,000. And no, it wasn’t worth hanging onto. Were I convinced that I really needed to move off grid I’d just buy a used sailboat at this point, probably in Washington state and then motor up the inside passage to anchor out somewhere in the panhandle of Alaska which is surprisingly warm during the winter considering how it is warmed by the Humboldt current. I no longer trust building departments much of anywhere hence the current fascination with sailboats.

Trust me. Colorado native for 49 years here. There is a reason it’s so cheap.

Many commenters have mentioned the horrible winters, and some have mentioned the winds. Both are HUGE reasons to not buy anything in this area. The winds are unrelenting for long periods of time, and it is not an exaggeration to state that they will literally drive you crazy. There are reasons that this land is so inexpensive, and you should pay heed. I bought a house in a small town of 500 people in remote southwest Colorado and lived there for seven years, because I thought that removing myself from civilization would be the answer to my problems. It was not.

Wasband and I own 12 acres near Mesita, a bit south of San Luis. It's big and empty out there and has a prehistoric feeling to it. The sky is immense and especially spellbinding at night. If you do land in that area, don't leave for too long as all of your belongings will be stolen, including fencing.

I know this wasn't the purpose of this particular video, but the museum in Fort Garland is actually super interesting, its an intact fort from 1858, built just a decade after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that made the San Luis Valley a US territory. The fort was commanded by Kit Carson and was the setting for some interesting civil war history. A lot of people breeze right past it because it doesn't look particularly impressive from the outside, but there are intact, 160 year old adobe structures on the grounds, and some great interpretive displays on the Buffalo soldiers and other area history. Its a really good off-the-beaten-path stop during a visit to Great Sand Dunes

I don’t know why you would want to buy property when you can camp in any National Forest or BLM land for 14 days at a time and go where the weather and access works. That is my approach.

Love these videos. Greatest part is people who have live/bought there commenting.

I live in the SLV. It's arid, dry and inhospitable. I was charmed by the mountains when I first moved here, but the high desert climate at 8000 feet makes it a challenging place to live. Relentless winds in the spring - it gets so dusty you can't even see the mountains. Relentless mosquitos in the summer, which makes hiking nearly impossible. Dry air that affects your skin, eyes and your breathing. This is still a beautiful place with dark skies and wonderful quietness. But I am looking to move to greener, friendlier pastures soon.

AS an SLV resident, I suggest driving the dirt roads after a rain. They can get soft and mushy-muddy.

TLDV version: You can spend $1,300 for a crappy 1/4 acre in the middle of nowhere on a crappy "road", that you can legally camp on for only 2 weeks every 3 months!... unless you pay, $15-20k? to put in a septic system and big water tank (which you will have to pay to fill) and get a special permit that allows you to camp there for 60 days, 3 times per year. Meanwhile you can camp on beautiful BLM and NF all year, legally.... move with the seasons, etc... for free. If you really want a piece of land, there are in fact places where they will let you park on your land forever and poop in a hole. You can buy a summer and winter parcel, and have nice weather all year. 🤪🤩

The bushes are called sage brush just to let you know.

When looking for land, remember that if there’s no trees that is because of the wind.

You drove past the road to Mountain Home reservoir. If you keep going, you can get to my parents cabin. Well, used to be my parents cabin. When my father passed my mom decided to sell it. There are some issues buying land out there. One neighbor had an entire log cabin kit stolen off the property when they were out of town. Another owner passed, and one of the lawman's son stole all the solar panels off the cabin the next day. If you leave town for too long you may find your pinion nuts stolen, or branches cut off your trees. There are some in that area that think the land is theirs and they can take what they want. No joke. Be aware.

As a long time investor and Realtor, Appraiser, I would offer just one bit of advice. Make an offer of about half of the asking price just to see how motivated the seller is. Then work up from that offer. I have made some pretty amazing buys in the past, some way below the 50%. I would also remind you that you should plan on doing some fire protection on the property, you are in an area that a wild fire could happen. I personally would start on the last one. Purchase what you can afford even if you have to stretch the budget a bit.

Third one is definitely the way to go. Those plants are larger because there's more easily accessed underground water.

I own a few lots in that spot in San Luis and am working to gather more. I am happy they have restrictions campers and time limits. They require you have survey, septic and water tank. You can build a house and not RVs. Keeps out the trouble. Nice area and I think some land was purchased for an airport.

Costilla County has some prohibative rules on water and septic systems on all that cheap land...be advised!

Tristan, thanks for showing us what a Southern Colorado high desert valley looks like for purchasing land. If it were me, I would chose option #5 where you parked for the night. Paying $1,300 - $18K for 2 weeks every 3 months sounds more like a time share to me. It ties you into committing to use your property to justify the expense of owning it. You also have to pay property taxes on that land. Out of the 4 you showed, the only one I would even consider is the 4th option with the trees but unless you planned to do more than just park there, the dispersed camping still appears like the better choice, IMO.

The reason its so bad in the valley is Government restrictions (state and local), Water rights disputes and rules (see government restrictions) and weather. Its colder in the SLV than in many places in Wyoming. The valley is a cold well where the mountains funnel cold air into the valley in the winter and if there is a high pressure pattern set up it just stays and turns into a deep freeze. On the flats (valley floor) it is known as a place to disappear and a place to freeze to death.

I own a property in the SLV and it is a harsh mistress. The wind blows damn near daily and it is intense. It is cold in the winter-15f is not uncommon. With that being said there is a beauty here that is undeniable and can capture your heart. My view of mt Blanca and the SDNP is spectacular and I never tire of it. Oh and the quiet in certain parts is otherworldly and addictive.

A good book describing the land history and difficulties in this area, Cheap Land Colorado: Off Gridders at Americas Edge

Love these “Land Hunters” segments. I’m getting a good education in land owning, what you get for your money, nearby resources and local government restrictions. Really enjoying these! Also, loved that camping spot. The golden hour light was gorgeous! 😊

This is a great series that you should keep doing. Driving to different places in the states and looking at properties that might work as a place to stay. The comments on the last one you did had so much interesting information that people shared. I learned a lot. 💯👊👍

The comments are informative from people who’ve live thru the seasons out there. Wind can be brutal as we know from our CA deserts.

This is another good service you have found and are providing to your community while you're outdoor adventuring in the West....thanks and until the next one !!

Buy two or three adjacent plots for $7000/$10,500 and get 10/15 acres on #2. (Or whatever multiple you can afford) Plus, you can’t underestimate Walmart access.

Having to get a permit to camp on your own land seems...weird, and a bit tyrannical. #Commierado

Remember one thing about the San Luis valley, it gets really cold there in the winter, then you would have to deal with mud in the shoulder season, wind year round. Your best bet is to be off the valley floor and be up in the foot hills, less cold and more protection from the winds. You need to be able to get to Alamosa for supplies and repairs etc. your safer investment would be buying land in the trees in case you would want to sell the property in the future.

Don't buy anything out there until you've experienced every season thoroughly-- and preferably more than once. I live here and have seen many people buy, build, and move out in a couple years. It's cold, hot, dry, dusty, dust storms, do you have water rights?, it's had to get the things you may need, shipping costs makes everything more expensive, ...it's an extreme environment. The Native Americans didn't even live here full time. They came through, hunted, soaked, and left.

Strangely enough I’ve eaten at that “All-Gon Restaurant & Pizzeria” in Fort Garland after spending the day at Great Sand dunes National Park and it was a hidden gem!

#2, the amount of space and the town. Loved the land hunters content. Thank you.

Something kinda new! Thoroughly enjoyed this Tristan. That little reservoir was a cool spot with some great views!

San Luis Valley is awesome. It's one of the largest high elevation valleys on the planet. All of those towns and properties you showed are quite high elevation wise, 7500 to 8000 feet above sea level. Winters are cold, but Spring, Summer, Fall are nice. The sun at that elevation is intense and as a result I would prefer to have some trees, otherwise you can end up feeling like you're under a broiler during the day. Crestone is my favorite town in the area. It's on the east side of the valley, right up against the big peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range. It's a unique place due to the fact that there are 12 or 15 spiritual communities right there, 3 or 4 Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries, one or two Zen communities, a Carmelite monastery, a Hindu temple, etc. And land that's been subdivided into lots, some of which have been built on, but many have not. However, I would guess that lots near Crestone would be the most expensive lots compared to the other lots you showed in this video.

One thing you didn't mention is that Alamosa often has the coldest "officially reported" temperature in Colorado. Don't let the "desert" landscape there fool you. My parents and I used to fish a lot at Mountain View Reservoir when I was a kid. My sister used to own a cabin way up in the mountains above Mountain View, a wonderful area.

Fun land hunters episode! After living in the dry windy desert, trees are sooo important and desired for me now. No covenants is a double edge sword...buy as much land as you can afford.. guaranteed someone will set up next door!!

Fort Garland brought back old memories of when I lived in Walsenburg for 1 year in 1999. Me and friends hiked up West Spanish Peak.

In the winter, constantly leading, with Gunnison, for the coldest spot in the nation.

I live in SW Colorado. There is a reason land is so cheap and few people live there. Spend one winter around Alamosa then decide if the area is for you.

Love to see you in the valley. I bought a 5ac lot up on the blanca foothills years ago and really love it. It’s amazing how beautiful the land is there. The valley gets a lot of flak, but as long as you use it as a rec property expectations are set.

A good visual for an acre is a football field, which is 1 1/3 acres.

Great video! Keep em coming!

I almost went in with a friend on 80 acres in north San Luis Valley. A few years later his house was robbed and when he chased down the thieves he was murdered. Thieves, meth heads, cold, wind, so glad I did not buy there.

I liked #2 best, too. But your camping spot at the end would be the kind of land I would be looking for! As I look for land to own and camp on, it's always primarily about the weather during specific times of the year. These higher elevation areas look great for a summer base!

There are incredible sand dunes in a National Monument close to the eastern side of this San Luis Valley! They are a must see! I was last there in the early 1990’s.

San Luis was surprisingly cool for such a small population. I would expect that town to be a few thousand people unless they see a lot of travel/tourist traffic. I really do like the trees on the last land. I enjoy these land videos!

Thanks for making this. I've visited and considered buying in these areas. This has been very helpful to me. I like property #2 best because Alamosa is a great town with many stores and restaurants. I found it to be more of a centralized location as far as highway travel. $3500 is amazing for 5acres so that's the winner in my book.

Mrs. Rios, in San Luis, is the best restaurant in all of Colorado. My wife and I came from Arizona up through NM and into southern Colorado a few weeks ago and stopped there for lunch. Thai or Mexican, it's your pick, it's NOT fast food, but it's excellent and the service is very good.

Bit of a rough and rugged area. I would imagine the weather with strong winds and snow storms could make tent living a little challenging at times.

The house you pointed out from the second property is my brother in law’s place. It’s for sale if anyone is looking

I love, love LOVE this series you do!! Thank you for these 🤗

My absolute favorite was your free campsite.

My wife and I enjoy doing longer RV adventures, always with a "theme". I love the idea of exploring an area and spending time looking for interesting properties. We wouldn't have any problem dropping $25k on a property (1-5 acres), another $75k for clearing, grading, septic, solar, water well & tank, a good RV pad, a shop/shed, and landscape... I would rent equipment and do most of the work myself. Wish List for Property: Beautiful summer weather, May to October (we have a winter house in Mexico), spectacular views of mountains, good road access, nearby town (10-15 minute drive), and a property that has a high point for RV/building site (drainage!!!)... nearby snow skiing, river kayaking would be a huge bonus. SoCentral Colorado looks like a great place to explore... we also love most of the Great Basin (Arizona, NE Nevada, SE Oregon, SW Idaho), and many other areas. You look like a good neighbor... Find a property and let's split it!!!

I like property number two because it is large and near a bigger town. If and when you have children, or develop health problems, or as you get older, you will appreciate the town. I would try to determine the situation with the water. What if you decided to build on the property, could you put in a well? Whatever you decide, you should check out the zoning regulations and building codes as well as availibility of water.

At roughly the 7:00 mark you outline the requirements for long-term camping at Location #1. Are there similar requirements at the other three properties? Thanks! BTW... great, informative vid! Love your hiking stuff, too.

Cedar gnats will make you go crazy 🤪

This is a great series and I really enjoy seeing these smaller town in states I intend to visit.

Oh my goodness! You gave me a flashback! Our family had property at Wild Horse Mesa near San Luis. We camped there for several years in the 70s. It was a magical place where wild horses would randomly come running through. 😍

Thanks for covering inexpensive land options. If I had to choose one of the properties, I would choose the last, primarily because of the lake nearby. The whole dry and barren thing doesn’t suit me. I wouldn’t even care to visit this area but if I did, free camping by the lake would be preferable to purchasing something.

Tristan, on this first property you described the RV rules. On the subsequent properties, those details were missing. It may be helpful to provide that information on all properties in your next venture if possible. On the the flip side, time to acquire that information is probably hefty, and maybe not convenient for your time constraints of producing a video. Thanks for all you do. These land videos are definitely interesting.

If I was going to buy somewhere I would go with no zoning so I wouldn't need to worry about camping permits and such.

Hardest part is always the county codes and regulations. Always check before buying. No address for mail without power is doable. But no living on it without power, well, and septic is restrictive. Cannot collect rain water is restrictive. And make sure it has water and can grow something to eat. I love these remote desert-like properties because they are not at the top of everyone's desired list. Some places will restrict you to how long you can live in that RV.

We’ve watched and appreciate several of your videos on “cheap” land. Would love to see one in the southwestern Utah area.

I would not want the first property , it makes no sense , since you must get a permit to camp on your own land . I can camp on BLM land for nothing and not pay any taxes for the land I am camping on.

That’s interesting. We drove last week from Oregon to the area you were in to look at bare land. We ended up purchasing a 40 acre lot outside of Monte Vista. It was important to us to have blm/national forest access within a short distance from the property. Luckily we found one that has a vast trail network to explore, leading to public lands starting down the road. The towns of South Fork, Del Norte, Monte Vista, and Alamosa have plenty to offer in small town charm.

Would love this, I reserched the weather and temps for the best times to stay.

....Perfect land for a Walmart. ....You Made a Great Investment!

I love this series!!! Thank you!!!

Nice! San luis is where my mom lives, not in town but just outside of it. She's off grid and has amazing views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. Especially Blanca, which i plan to climb this summer.

I liked the one close to the lake. Good road access and nice views.

Really good info and views….enjoyed watching!

Thank you for really giving us ĜREAT detailed information and the plus is that you detailed the nearby town!

I like the fact that Costilla County for the most part has high winds, as that is the source for keeping deep cycle batteries charged while inverting DC to AC. Then when the wind is not blowing enough to turn the VAWT, solar panels and or a propane generator can fill in. All of this to live OFF GRID.

I enjoy watching these land videos and the comments from others. Thanks Tristin.

Alamosa…. So much potential. When we stayed there, a local said “it’s something”. Dead on.

Option #4. The privacy of the trees clinches it.

Love these series!!!

I like #4 by far thank you I enjoyed looking at different choices of land.

As much as I love Wyoming, its winter climate is too harsh. That makes Colorado an option. Somehow, the Carlsbad area (New Mexico!) has me interested, too!

Love your Landhunter videos!

I love the San Luis valley, we visited back in 2020...I think I would pick the one close to Fort Garland.

I'm on board with property #2 also. 5 acres!

i like the when you show more tress

I’ve thought about doing the same thing (I live in the south). But I realized that I don’t want to be stuck in one place. I would take that money and buy a quality, four season boondocking camper. Take it as far as it can go, then use the Land Cruiser to explore farther into the wild. Your wife will appreciate the creature comforts.

Nice video. I liked spot #3

I had friends who bought property on the side of Mt. Blanca. Most of that land has no water and you can't get a well drilled because all of the water rights are taken by the ranchers who've been there forever. You have to haul a water tank to a local spigot to get water.

I've heard that if you have enough wind to be annoying, you have a good place for a wind turbine.

I’ve spent a bit of time in SLV, camping and hiking. Great place and home to my favorite RU-vidrs, Normal to Nomad. Agree with other commenters that you gotta do your research. It’s by no means an easy environment for year round living. Also recommend book: Cheap Land Colorado. Be sure to check the Buddhist stupas in Crestone.

👍 Thanks, very informative. I really like the Mountain Lake area. Also, the campsite is beautiful. Be safe. 💜☮

Brother! Just love this vid! We almost moved to Alamosa in something like 1970 when I was in Jr. High... If I wasn't such a worn out old Fa$t needing an entire medical team... I SO might move ASAP to this part of CO... or up near where y'all live! Thanks for this. Love seeing the places you show, want to visit, but if I never pull it off.. JUST THANK YOU! MAN, buy the last extra one if you want to have a place south! Camping... if I was an gazillionaire RU-vidr [joke] I'd buy several surrounding sites, i would!

I am really enjoying these peaks at different areas and what available land might look like. Thanks.

#3 I like the rolling hills, Lake, road access...#4 is nice also, if you want to spend the extra $$. The first 2 are out in exposed locations & too Flat...

#4 for sure

Thx for your vids. Love your hiking adventures. These are great too. I _really_ wish you'd disclosed camping requirements/stipulations for the 2nd & 3rd place.

YEARS AGO, I WAS A LAND DEVELOPER AND SPECULATOR....I LEARNED THE HARD WAY, DONT BUY LAND WITHOUT TREES UNLESS YOU PLAN LIVING THERE YOURSELF.....THE RESALE VALUE IS LOW AND VERY TOUGH TO SALE....SECONDLY, ROAD FRONTAGE...PUBLIC ROADS MAKE LAND FAR MORE VALUEABLE.

I like #4 - the trees are beautiful as is the mountain view

The importance of camping free is that you get to move and experience different sites. Having to camp again and again in the same isolated spot, looking at same things, is like having baked potato for lunch and dinner every day.

Alamosa has the best food around. I used to take huge tanks through there on our way to the four corners area from Pueblo. It's my favorite area including walsenburg, antonito and chama!!

I worked in Fort Garland for a summer in the early 70’s. Doesn’t look like it has changed much. Beautiful country all around that area and north of the San Luis valley. Thanks

Hello from Ouray, Tristan! Thank you very much for showing these properties! I really like your format for doing this. It gives options for people to consider. I agree with your order of preferences!! That second property seemed to be the biggest bang for the buck that would require the least amount of work to get one going on it. I guess in saying that, that is assuming the property is still used under your original concept of a landing spot, for some time, in a camper/rv/tent-ish. Having said all of that, there is some value in that 4th property with the increased coverage with trees. The views on those first 3 open properties are awesome. But....when man made stuff shows up out on the valley floor, that does get attention. Having some trees around helps keep you out of view a bit more. Ha...my 40 acre piece is in the Paradox Valley, on the eastern side of the La Sal Mountains by Moab. 40 acres is a 1/4 mile by a 1/4 mile in size. I am 2 40 acre plots from the state highway that goes through the valley. I'll put my travel trailer out there for a week at a time a couple of times per year. In the warmer times, I do use the outdoor shower on my travel trailer. I hedge my bets that people driving 65mph on a not so great maintained asphalt road, undulating with the terrain, are not focused on my level of dressed-ness hehehehe. Fact of the matter is my trailer is like 3 mm tall when you look at it a 1/2 mile away hehehe. Safe travels!