Here’s how to watch 27,000 sandhill cranes migrate through Colorado this spring
Put this Colorado historic bird festival on your 2025 to-do list.
admin
Somebody recently told me that birding is basically a modern-day dinosaur safari, and that statement really rings true with greater and lesser sandhill cranes.
Sandhills are ginormous (that’s the scientific term) prehistoric creatures with wingspans bigger than your couch. Weighing in at about 12 or 13 pounds, and measuring up to 4 feet tall, these long-necked, gray beauties are an easy species for novice birders like me to identify thanks to their size and distinctive “red crown patch” (a bald spot over the forehead).
Related: See photos of sandhill cranes migrating through Colorado
Upward of 27,000 greaters and lessers migrate through south-central Colorado between mid-February and mid-April, and they’ve been taking their spring break in the San Luis Valley for thousands of years — an extended layover of sorts, between their wintering grounds in New Mexico and cooler, northern locales.
Seeing one sandhill in the wild is special. Watching tens of thousands of them take flight in coordinated rushes … well, even experienced writers struggle to find the words to characterize such an awe-inspiring spectacle.
“They’re big, they’re beautiful, and they sound magnificent,” says award-winning author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul, who’s giving the keynote at this year’s 42nd annual Monte Vista Crane Festival, which takes place from Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9.
Weidensaul has published dozens of books on natural history, including a New York Times bestseller “A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds.” And he’s been a “sandhill crane nut” ever since he first saw them in large numbers in the late 1990s, on the Platte River in Nebraska. When asked to describe the sandhill migration, Weidensaul paused, took a breath, paused again, and then said, “Anyone with a pulse is going to be excited to see large numbers of sandhill cranes.”
“I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” says Amy Engle, co-owner of Fable Communications, the local marketing firm organizing this year’s festival. “Sandhill cranes,” she continues, “Are the closest living thing to dinosaurs, and their calls have this prehistoric quality.”
Why Monte Vista?
Sandhills congregate in large numbers on the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, 6120 S. Hwy. 15, reupping on water and food in the wetlands habitat and performing a dramatic courtship dance that involves plenty of bowing, leaping and enthusiastic wing flapping. If you’re into enduring love stories, then you should know that these cranes mate for life.
The Monte Vista Crane Festival is as good an excuse as any for making a trip to south-central Colorado. With a $30 general admission ticket, guests can view sandhills up close with local guides and attend a “Crane Basics” talk given by experts at the Ski Hi Event Center, 2389 Sherman Ave.
To see the cranes, you’ll head to the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, a 10-minute drive from downtown Monte Vista. “In years past we’ve done bus tours, but we’re dropping that,” says Engle.
Guests instead are invited to show up anytime during set “viewing windows” offered in the morning and early evening, from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., during the festival weekend. The refuge is set up for driving. In fact, says Engle, “You can see everything from the car, if needed.” Volunteers and staff will be posted up at specific viewing stations — places where cranes tend to congregate — with scopes for guests to use.
In addition to two populations of sandhills, expect to see various other waterfowl, including ducks and geese. Once you’ve gawked at the birds, head back to town for a series of educational offerings.
For an extra $15, the general admission plus ticket grants access to 10 additional bird talks, including Weidensaul’s keynote. The keynote, as well as some talks, are expected to sell out, so it wouldn’t hurt to book tickets now to secure a spot. Visit mvcranefest.org for ticketing and an updated event schedule.
Offered as add-ons at an additional cost, festivalgoers can also participate in wildlife photography workshops, plein air and brush painting workshops, a sip-and-paint-style art class, and a mini-film festival. “All of the art workshops will be hosted by local artists,” explains Engle. She’s also excited about a new kid zone, which will welcome young birders with games, activities and crafts.
The crane festival coincides with another annual event, the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce’s Crane Craft and Nature Fair, montevistachamber.org/crane-festival, also held over the weekend of March 7 to 9, at the Outcalt Event and Conference Center inside the Ski Hi Complex.
Pop over to the free Crane Craft and Nature Fair to peruse art, jewelry, fiber ware, photography and carvings. Food vendors will be on-site selling baked goods, coffee and more.
“We’ll have about 130 vendors this year,” says Heather Hillin, executive director of the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce. While many vendors lean toward bird-themed items, visitors will find everything from alpaca blankets to handcrafted wood furniture at this family-friendly fair.
Exploring the San Luis Valley
You don’t need to attend a ticketed event to view the sandhills in Colorado through mid-April. The Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to visit throughout the season, and you’ll also catch cranes in Mosca, inside San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area, cpw.state.co.us/state-wildlife-areas/san-luis-lakes-swa, 16399 Lane 6 N, and Great Sand Dunes National Park, nps.gov/grsa, 11999 State Highway 150.
The birds return to the San Luis Valley every fall, but spring migration always seems to be a bigger, more coordinated spectacle.
Whenever you visit, be aware that Monte Vista has a number of chain hotels. If you’re planning to make a weekend of it, Engle recommends checking into The Windsor Hotel, windsorhoteldelnorte.com, 605 Grand Ave., or Mellow Moon Lodge, mellowmoonlodge.com, 1160 Grand Ave., both independently owned hotels in the nearby town of Del Norte. There are also tons of vacation rentals in the area, and Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa, kosmosresort.com, is an eco-friendly dark-sky site located about 30 minutes east of Monte Vista.
“Monte Vista has some pretty great restaurants,” Engle says, noting that a friend of hers owns Sabor de Vida Café, https://www.sabormontevista.com/, 159 Euclid St., a Mexican-Italian fusion joint serving produce from the owner’s local farm. If you’re craving small plates, there’s The Pivot Public House, pivotpublichouse.com, 201 Jefferson St., which is transitioning to new ownership and should reopen in February.
“There are about 3,000 little taco joints scattered throughout the area, and they’re all great,” Engle adds.
Weidensaul, who’s putting the finishing touches on a new book about bird conservation, is looking forward to experiencing one of the country’s classic bird festivals. We don’t have many success stories with cranes, he says, and yet the story of the sandhills is one of resiliency.
A century ago, the species was critically endangered. Conservationists like Aldo Leopold were certain they’d go extinct, but the birds rebounded, miraculously, with habitat restoration and hunting reform, and today’s populations are booming.
Count yourself lucky if you get a chance to see tens of thousands of greater and lesser sandhills band together in the snowy Colorado this spring. Once you’ve seen the cranes in the wild, you’ll almost certainly be pulled back, year after year, by the rhythm of their migration, the indescribable allure of their calls echoing across the wetlands. Pack layers (it’s Colorado, after all), grab your binoculars and be ready for something truly special.
