Search The Cosmos At One Of Colorado's Most Unique Roadside Stops With Otherworldly Vibes

Colorado has some of the best bucket-list outdoor destinations, from Desert Reef Hot Springs in the foothills of the Rockies to the hidden trail of Blue Lake, which offers stunning views of waterfalls. However, there is one odd attraction that can't be missed. The UFO Watchtower is located in Alamosa, San Luis Valley, less than an hour north of the New Mexico state line and two miles north of Hooper. It's a sparsely populated and stunning area surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, renowned for its black-canvas sky and an unfiltered view of the constellations.

An off-beat attraction for those curious about life beyond Earth, the UFO Watchtower has boasted paranormal and unexplainable sightings for the last two decades. You can visit the tower and channel Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Mulder (David Duchovny) from "The X-Files" as you seek proof that "the truth is out there." Or, if you're on your way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and simply need a place to stretch your legs and enjoy the view, this is an ideal spot. 

Look for a handmade sign on Hwy 17 with a green alien. For $5 per person, you can enter the UFO Watchtower, open on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also stay on the grounds all night as a camper. There is no need to make a reservation to camp — all you have to do is fill out a form next to the green alien sign with a $20 bill and drop it off in the mailbox.

The UFO Watchtower is a 10-foot observation platform that looks as though it's made from some high school gym bleachers. The delightfully eccentric owner, Judy Messoline, originally moved to the area to raise cattle. She laughed it off when the locals told her about the UFO and alien sightings in the area. Yet 4.5 years later, her cattle business didn't take off, so she built the watchtower in 2000, initially as a joke. However, it became a thriving roadside attraction. Since its opening, it has attracted 30,000 visitors from different parts of the country. 

In addition to the watchtower and the dome attached to it, there is an idiosyncratic garden filled with personal objects and random knick-knacks. According to Messoline, many psychics have visited her property and claimed paranormal energies. For example, her "healing garden" has two spinning vortexes guarded by two beings. The vortexes are said to be access points to a parallel universe, with the beings there to protect the access points but also help human visitors. Therefore, Judy requested that visitors leave something behind for good luck. As a result, the garden is filled with random objects, including pens, sunglasses, headphones, traveling mugs, beaded necklaces, and thousands more things left behind by visitors hoping to glean some positive energy from the extraterrestrial visitors.

From the observation deck, you can experience the vastness of the landscape — the surrounding desert-like area is gorgeous and otherworldly. You can also walk around the grounds to view the treasure trove in the eccentric garden and add something of your own to the collection. Don't forget to visit the cute little gift shop inside the dome that sells alien memorabilia and a book about Judy, entitled "That Crazy Lady Down the Road." 

The best thing to do at the UFO Watchtower is to camp overnight. The campground does not provide electricity or water, but the breathtaking surroundings make it worthwhile. You can watch the sun dip into the mountains on the horizon. Then, you are engulfed in complete darkness. There is no light pollution around, so unless you turn on some lights of your own, you won't be able to see your own hands in the dark. Even if you don't believe in aliens, it's still an incredible place to spend the night. You can stargaze under the sparkling ebony sky and imagine distant galaxies. Keep your eyes open for any thin white light blinking quickly across the sky. If you want more extraterrestrial adventures, take a scenic road trip to Nevada's Area 51.