The heart of the Orient Land Trust is Valley View Hot Springs. I enjoyed three days and two nights at this rustic clothing-optional resort last week.

The name “valley view” means what it says. Perched up on the side of the Sangre de Christo Mountains overlooking the sparsely inhabited San Luis Valley, the view is spectacular.

This is the world’s highest inhabited alpine valley, covering 8,000 square miles at an average elevation of 7,500 feet. The elevation of the hot springs is 8,600 to 9,000 feet.

The Valley View

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Deer graze all around the hot springs. I stayed in my favorite accommodations there, Oak House. And when I looked out of the window of my room late on the first evening after I arrived, I saw this spotted doe just a few feet away.

Another Visitor to the Hot Springs

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The next morning I walked a few hundred feet from Oak House to the welcome center. In the bushes beside the road I saw a spot of red, that I figured at first was some manmade. But when I looked closely, I saw that this colorful bird was a member of a mostly tropical family. This Western Tanager breeds farther north than any other tanager.

A Male Western Tanager

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