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colorado gators reptile park

February 5, 2021

"Gators in Colorado?" A low-profile billboard along rural State Highway 17 near Great Sand Dunes National Park echoes the question tourists have been asking for over three decades.

Open to the public since 1990, Colorado Gators Reptile Park is a sanctuary for unwanted and confiscated exotic pets. In 1987 the owners purchased 100 baby alligators to dispose of the filleted carcasses leftover from their budding fishery. These gators grew and reproduced in the natural pools on the property, and after increasing interest from the community, the owners opened the farm for self-guided tours. 

Gators aren’t exactly what you expect to find in landlocked Colorado. Instead, they’re well known for infesting the freshwater wetlands of the Southeastern US. But as shallow aquifers and springs run underneath the valley, they’ve come to thrive here. 

Dark slits blink from the dark water as you wander through a maze of gator ponds and aquaculture tanks teeming with Tilapia and Catfish. Pythons and boas slither against the glass of microhabitat enclosures. Lizards warm their spiny backs under glowing heat lamps. An albino alligator with rosy white scales and pale eyes emerges from a grass and mud bog.

gator wrestling class

Gator wrestling classes are available for visitors by reservation only. According to the Colorado Gators’ website, these classes are “not for the faint of heart.” While participants receive training by staff on how to handle the gators, anywhere from 2 to 8 feet long, the park wants visitors to know that these animals are indeed dangerous. To stress this point, they include a photograph within the class description of a participant with a rather large gash above his eye.

If wrestling a gator isn’t on your bucket list, Colorado Gators’ also offers a reptile handling class where participants can learn about and handle several lizards, snakes, and other reptiles.

colorado gators reptile park review

Colorado Gators Reptile Park receives consistent top reviews on popular platforms like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google. We would absolutely recommend Colorado Gators. It’s such a great, family-friendly destination in Colorado that’s a perfect attraction to see while visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park.

More than just a unique experience, it’s important that tourists and residents alike seek out organizations like these to support. Rescue institutions and wildlife facilities especially need our support as there’s so much that goes into their cost of operations that we as visitors often overlook.

Present this Colorado Gators Reptile Park Coupon for a generous discount on admission.

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