Crestone, Colorado

Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, elevation 8,000 feet. .Talk about a hippie haven, you will not find another town like this one. I think the term “far out” describes this place the best. Besides lots of hippies, Crestone has many Spiritual and Healing centers, Environmental activities, Human potential organizations and the annual Crestone Music Festival is held every August. Located nearby is Valley View Hot Springs, another hippie haven of it’s own!

0 thoughts on “Crestone, Colorado

  1. Did a little research on this town, sounds interesting. Looks like a place very friendly to alternative religions and spirituality. They got a zen center, as well as a sage house, and some other strange sects I’m not aware of. I wished my hometown of Lakeview, Oregon had all these spiritual centers, but all they got are Christian churches, several of them fundamentalist. I checked their real estate and it’s much more reasonably priced, something you can’t say of Boulder. I saw a pyramid-shaped house for sale, how cool. I’d never known a place elsewhere where you can find such a house. Plus there are several art galleries. Crestone doesn’t look like it’s an incorporated town either and it looks rural. Looks like a place without so much that snotty and pretentious element you might get with Boulder. I don’t know. The drawback, I’m very certain, because of the altitude, would be the harsh and brutal weather.

  2. Crestone, Colorado in most ways is quite appealing. Great views, great water, lots of sunshine, few people, scant police presence, but it’s rapidly losing its appeal. It wasn’t long ago when one could buy a lot in the Baca Grande (adjacent subdivision) for very little, hook up utilities for a reasonable amount, secure approvals from the POA (Property Owners Asso.) with reasonable application fees, etc. That’s all changed now. The POA, the Baca Grande Water & Sanitation Dist, and, to some extent, Saguache County Land Use, have all become very money-driven and in the case of the BGW&S to the point of being predatory. Of all the agencies one has to deal with when relocating to build a home in the Baca they (BGW&S) are the most problematic but they at least provide something for your money. The POA, on the other hand, provides absolutely nothing for the $500 building permit fee required or the $220 annual dues. They say they protect property values by maintaining and enforcing covenants but if you really look around the Baca you’ll see more blight, ramshacled buildings, unsafe structures, etc. than ever before. The POA has become a self-serving, self-absorbed, and, worst of all, has switched from being an advocacy for the membership to a regulatory instrument against it. There is really no functional reason for this agency to exist at all. So, basically, if you’re not planning on building but visitiing or renting, go check out the area.
    Mountains are spectacular, many hiking trails to take advantage of but take lots of insect repellant in the summer time. Some years the mosquitos are unreal. Every year the knats and flies dominate the lower elevations.

  3. If any of you go to renfaires around the country, you may be interested
    to know that the ‘headquarters’ for Crystal Stix and the Cameleon are here.

  4. I live in denver and afew years back I met some people from crestone during a “teen help seminar” anyway I ended up going to vist them a while later, I’d never been or heard about crestone. The town has alot of really cool people and some weirdos And not weird in a good way.
    The ashraum is absolutely amazing, The veiw, the energy it’s wonderful. I do however amagine that if you didn’t know anyone there it might be pretty boring for a while.

  5. Crestone is truely unique in all the world. I live there part time and would compare it to what Nederland used to be in the 70’s, with the added bonus of UFO’s, spiritual centers and bears. The weather is not cold. It used to be, but the San Luis Valley is a real casualty of global warming and has been in drought for three years. The winters are mild and the altitude makes it comfortable to be outside in the winter for hikes, building, cutting wood, soaking in hotsprings. If you are a hippy you will feel very at home here. I am not, and often have to supress massive eye rolling when I go into town and see the trustafarians striving to be strange, and the predictable hippy uniform (or costuming) of the town folk and transient, often unstable folks who drift through town. There is a strong sense of community among the residence there although with so many ideologies floating around there are often clashes which are peacfully dealt with at community meetings or voiced through newspaper editorials. There are some real interesting social experiments going on in town that are the positive outcome of hippy culture. A resturant co-op, organic food store, and outdoor market on weekends, alternative architecture, alternative fuels, and organic farming, not to mention spiritual centers and alternative healers. That reminds me, don’t have an accident or an injury because there is not a traditional health care or medical center. You’ll be fine if you want to get a message or some “rescue remedy” for a broken leg – a not so positive outcome of hippy culture – ignoring the real necesities of survival in favor of idealism.

  6. The person who commented on the $500 building fee and $220 annual dues got it righr , except the dues have been raised to $235. We got 4 lots real cheap because the previous owner got tired of fees, fees, fees

    Did I mention that the county extracts a building permit fee and also requires taxes?
    And the Water San district gets an arm and a leg for services. $70 per year to just look, then $5,000 if you want service plus $900 hook up plus parts and labor

    The locals are among the greediest you will find anywhewre, but don’t chalenge them — you will regret it. They will never let you build.

    I had a lady who wanted to run for POA board but they blackballed her.

    These folks actually spent $1oo,ooo to build a swamp!

    The roads are maintained for the favored few and the one million they raise each year is spent mainly on the priveleged class plus employin g their friends at the golf course, etc.

    It is not a nice place to visit ($75 to $150 for bed & brerakfast, one example of which consisted of raw carrots! really)

    And you sure would not want to live there. 100 mile round trip to buy an aspirin or even 3.2 beer!

  7. If you don’t like the politics of Crestone then don’t move there. Every place has them, & at least they’re trying to keep things to a certain standard. Actually, the less people that move there, the more of a sanctuary it will remain 🙂

  8. Spyce has an interesting, but warped, view. To make people stay away by being obnoxious is what Hitler tried to to to Jews.

    My view is that it is better to have hundreds of people hapy than just a few.

    The Baca grande was platted with 10,000 lots. The hippies knew that from the gate, but tried to pull the community down.

  9. Hey, Im staying in Denver and would really like to come down to Crestone to check it out. I have to go to jail in two weeks for taking off my clothes while in a bar. Not perving, just forgot that it wasnt Kalalau for a second. Any way if anyone reads this maybe you could tell me about any parties in Crestone in the next few weeks or underground tunnels to Mexico??

  10. i brung p-nut buttar all the ways frum arkansas………..but cripes..it was SKIPPY—-not organic dang the luck, i thought they mights be apprexciative.

  11. I have lived in Crestone, and to call it “hippie” is really not accurate. In fact you would probably get made fun of there for using such a work. If however you are interested in community, and alternative building, as well as a thriving spiritual community, you would probably love Crestone.

  12. Blessings: If anyone is interested helping I would like to set up a Spiritual Gathering in Crestone this summer (june 20-21-22). I feel very moved to do this. I was fortunate to have lived in Crestone during the early 1970’s after my return from Vietnam. During my three years in Crestone I was a student and friend to a wonderful spiritual teacher and elder, Glen Ulysses Anderson. Glen (who was in his 70’s at that time)told us he had been sent by the Ascended Host to begin the first stages of preparing Crestone to become a Spiritual Model community at the beginning stages of the Aquarian Age. Some of the predications Glen shared with us during our studies was the Fall of the Berlin wall, the end of communism as a world power, the use of an electronic device that would allow people from all of the world to gather and talked to one another (internet), the down fall of religious insititution through the uncovering of shocking evidence, the war over oil in the middle-east, and the ending of mass slavery by large corporation and probably the most significant that Crestone was to be a spiritual model community. He told us that a 50 miles radius around Crestone was a vortex of energy and that anyone coming into this area would feel almost immediatedly influence their true-nature (current awareness.) For some the enrgy around Crestone would be very difficult for some to handle and for others energy would feel like a mystical experience. He also said many would be guided to this Crestone without even knowing about it but would feel moved to move there. He told us soon many of the major religions would come to Crestone to build santuaries for sharing and interacting with others not of there faith, yet to begin the tearing down of the barriers that keep humanity separated by ‘fear-based dogmas’. Basically people from across beliefs systems would come togather to acknowledge the truth of Universal Consciousness that is a Sacred Bond with all humanity. “…God is not a personage, but a Life force that is within all things Real. To help build a relationship with this ‘force’ Glen taught that spending daily time in silence, could we e begin to unreveal the destorted view we had of ourselves, ourworld and God the Father/Mother of all life. He called this force simply the “Father Within.” Books and teachers are fine..but they can only take you so far… finding your true identify lies within you and know one but you can claim this…but once you do…you begin to see how precious all life is and how wonderful is the Love of God for those that will accept it. The age we are coming to is a chance for those that are ready to accept Love to given a chance to share it without the distorted chaos that has been going on since the last great awakening over 26,000 years ago.

    Glen predicted that was to be a new paradigm of how we interacted in our daily lives.. people with special gifts would come out in masses to open share there wisdom, healiing and new thoughts on how to unite humanity and end the poverty and privation that has existed since the last great cycle of change.

    What I visualize happening in Crestone this summer is to bring people and organizations together to take a heart felt look at why they are here and what they can do to promote peace and harmony around the world…but specifically in Crestone.

    If you feel moved to be of help or want to participate please feel free to e-mail at jlujan99@comcast.net

  13. Crestone Colorado has the worst climate I have experienced.
    Cold 9 months out of the year with temperatures dipping to -40F. Spring time is horrible: wind storms that fill the air with sand and agricultural chemcals from farms in the San Luis Valley.
    Combine the miserable climate with the 8,000 foot elevation and you’ve got a little piece of hell on earth!

  14. I go to the crestone charter school and its fucking great shchool , i say fuck the jock and those fucking preppy bitches. We go sking on friday and we just got back from japan and next year is brazil bitc, the mentorship Mentoships from Auto to Zen Bhuddism It prepare you for you you want to do and you can also do other cool shit so fuck you this school is great fuck moffat and saguache assholes

  15. This has got to be one of the funniest things I have seen. I can’t believe that people are actually posting things about Crestone….most of which are exactly right on. Crestone is absolutely a strange place. You have to be one that likes the “uniqueness” (if that is what you want to call it), of it. I agree it is a beautiful place to visit, and if you like hiking then you should go there atleast once, but to live there…you have to be half nuts. Although…just like the people who live there and talk shit….if you don’t like it then LEAVE. You all have entirely TOO much time on your hands.

  16. Well I moved here on a wim took the old road trip, had a friend staying here, came to the town and cried!!! The woman who do not care about hygiene, The scrubby men. The wanna be dreadlocks to get attention, they act like they do not want. The kids running wild. The Co – Op what a joke, Do they really know what a hippy really is??? The together ness, The comfort, the lifestyle, is not here. Oh My God it is a joke a real fucking joke. The is no community loveliness. It is not here. Alot is true what you all say. I have seen more togetherness in bigger brighter cities. This town sucks.

  17. well i have been here for about a year now, the people judge you. lie about you start horrible vicious rumors. you are an outsider for about 3 years here, people do not take pride in them selves, baths, hair nasty not brushed. they let their children run around with no shoes, naked, dirty faces. social services need to come take some of these children away, the parents are all hooked on dope and do not pay attention. we have had men attack woman, police wont arrest the man because no where to put the dog. bar owners doing meth and ripping people off. high schoolers out of control with drinking, shrooms, and weed. So call dirty hippies buying and giving the kids alchol, drugs. Meth is a problem here. yards are nasty houses not finished for years. teepee life. there are some good points retreats, zen places, spirtual beings. the mountains are awesome, but you have to deal with the bs all the time, the gossip is way too much. the so called happy hippies who are the most con artist people around the mooch after others to feel sorry. what i get from this town full of lazy dirty nasty people. good place to visit for camping and rock finding or hiking. but to live you have to be poor and stuck like chuck. think about it.

  18. From the comments already posted, sounds like an interesting place to visit, but I might not want to live there. It also sounds like they need an English teacher.

  19. There are some good techers in Crestone… The kids get their likings from their parents and bad habits are ignored. Laid back atmosphere.
    Things are set back here about 30 – 40 years. Ass backwards town.
    Good place to visit but not to live. Scencery is nice as far as mountains, people are different. yes what was stated earlier is true, hard town.
    Work is hard to find, grocery stores are about an hour away and civilations. So if you want a break come visit. But to live expect a hard road ahead of you. We all have been through the gossip and crap and yes it does take about 3 years to be accepted. Manners are hard to find in this town. Get waves as driving, but….

  20. well some movie stars have houses here, Richard Gere, Kirk Russell, Shirley McClaine. You have some nice houses out in the Baca area, near the sand dunes. It is dessert like, the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo mountains, nice to look at. dirt roads, hiding for the government, there are police that patrol there. the are drugs there. there is dirtiness there.
    Pleasant if you are blind. Games are played here, people sleeping with each other. The Silver Palace (bar, one and only) The owners try to control the town, The have drugs deals going on, paying people to sleep with them. Danger zone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The town is cute, small, and strange. Very out dated. Laid back to extent. Some kind people, some awful people. Some panhandlers, some helpful. Like every other small town.
    Pothead, drug addicts, and your whores. You have woman who ignore their children, teachers that are cool. Nudist. Users, Liars and cheats.
    what else could you ask for.????????:

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