Orient Land Trust
                                   Valley View Hot Springs
                                   Email:
info@olt.org

Home & Contact

Mission Statement

What's New

Reservation Availability Calendars

Rate Information

Member Benefits

Maps and Directions

Pools & Ponds

Overnight Lodging & Camping

Facts for First-Time Visitors

Please Support

Volunteering

Staff & Board of Directors

Board Meetings

Calendar of Events

Brochures & Newsletters

Programs

Everson Ranch

Before You Visit

Admission and Reservations

Other Web Sites

 P.O. Box 65  Villa Grove, Colorado  81155-0065
 719-256-4315

info@olt.org
Office / Phone Hours: 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM Mountain Time every day
Day visitors (not staying overnight) must arrive by 8:30 pm

Open to the Public 7 days a week except closed  December 1st - December 28th

Welcome to Orient Land Trust
Orient Land Trust is dedicated to the preservation of natural and biological resources, agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, open space, and
historic and geologic features of the northern San Luis Valley for the education and enjoyment of current and future generations.

 

100% of unrestricted donations go towards open space and land conservation.

News


Fire Ban In Effect
Spring in the Sangres means the occasional storm followed by long periods of moisture-sucking winds. Conditions at OLT and Valley View are much more dry than meets the eye. Hence, we have a fire ban in effect. Please no charcoal or wood fires, and keep any and all smoking to your vehicle.



Summer Rates are in Effect
Summer rates are in effect as of May 1, and will be in effect through the end of September 2012. The Rate Information page has more details.


March 2011 Newsletter
The latest newsletter is on the street! Well, really, it’s in your inbox.  Maybe it went into your spam folder.  Maybe you need to click here to read it.  Paper copies are also available in the Welcome Center.



The Swimming Pool is Drained and Cleaned Every Wednesday.
This does disrupt the hot tub heating system. This winter, due to low water levels, we have been running our diesel generator to fill the pool more quickly. To reduce our impact on the environment, we will not be using this method for the foreseeable future. We anticipate the pool re-opening by dinnertime.


Join Our Board of Directors!
The Board of Directors is seeking a new board member to begin serving at the Board's July 2013 annual meeting. If you're interested in serving on the Board to help shape policy, establish goals and budgets, and carry out the goals, mission, and other organizational requirements of OLT, please submit your letter of interest and resume by April 15, 2015 to bdcchair@olt.org. For more information, see Staff & Board of Direrctors or contact bdcchair@olt.org. Thank you for your interest!


2011 Raffle Winners
Winners of the 2011 Raffle have been selected. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. A list of winners can be found on the 2011 Raffle Winners page.

 

Want to take OLT Home With You? Check out our selection of logo items, books, and other items at the OLT Store.

 

Want to Get or Give a Massage While at OLT? Please read the Massage page for details on therapists authorized to perform massage services onsite. Also there are details on how to become authorized to perform services onsite.

 

Preliminary Survey Results Available: Go to the Survey page to see details.

 

 

More news is on the What's New page




A snowstorm left snow on an apricot blossom


Learn more about Land Conservation...
See here for a good overview of land trusts, conservation easements, tax credits, and how Orient Land Trust
works with land owners to preserve land here in the San Luis Valley.


The serenity of winter at the Everson Ranch...

See what Orient Land Trust is all about - protecting the land, water, and clean air of the San Luis Valley.
View two pages of images of our peaceful rural beauty here and here. (large files - long download)

 

Pools and Ponds!
See the new Pools and Ponds page for detailed descriptions and photographs of our beautiful ponds in all seasons.
It's a great page to point out to your friends who haven't been lucky enough to experience Valley View yet!

Why become a Member of Orient Land Trust?
A summary of Annual Contributor Benefits available to OLT members.

Features of the lands protected by Orient Land Trust include a large bat colony, hot springs, alternative energy use, high altitude dark skies for astronomy, an exposed active geological fault, limestone caves, numerous trails into a wilderness area, historic buildings, town sites at an abandoned iron mine and a working ranch. Visitors to Orient Land Trust experience these features in a naturist (clothing-optional) setting and may camp or stay in rustic lodging.  The number of visitors is limited based on space available and environmental impact.

See the Orient Land Trust page on Facebook and "like" us to join our online community.
This is a great way to connect with other fans of OLT / Valley View and start discussion groups, share experiences, post photos, and stay in touch with the place you love.

Reminder - 10 day monthly limit
Because OLT has a visitor quota to keep Valley View from getting too crowded, we end up turning away many people who would love to stay here, especially on weekends and during the summer. Because of this we have a 10 day monthly limit for all visitors. For any given stay, this translates to the number of nights, plus one (because everyone has use of the hot springs all day on the day of their departure). For example, a 3-night stay counts as 4 "days", so if you are here for two 3-night stays in a month you would have used up 8 days. It sounds complicated, but it isn't! Please check with the front desk if you are confused about any given reservation. Also, there is a 10 day "waiting period" between stays of a week or more to keep guests from staying 20 days straight at the end of one month and the beginning of the next. We are trying to balance fairly long stays at Valley View (up to 9 consecutive nights) while trying to make it more available to everyone who wants to come here.

Important - Updated Information on Closure of the Orient Mine to Cavers.
Due to the White Nose Syndrome affecting bat colonies as far west as Oklahoma and Missouri, the Orient Mine will continue to be closed to caver access until further notice. See Orient Mine Closure Information page for updated details, including a link to the US Forest Service Emergency Order closing caves and abandoned mines in the Rocky Mountain region.
Note - this does not affect hikes to the cave to see the bat outflight.

See here for a Denver Post article about the potential threat to bats in Colorado.

 

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How to get here - See Directions and Maps

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2011 Rates for Hot Springs Use and Lodging

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New to OLT / Valley View Hot Springs? See First-Time Visitor Information

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Why donate? A summary of Annual Contributor Benefits available to OLT members

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See What's New for current weather and road conditions, fire ban, and bat information

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A History and Overview of Orient Land Trust

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Everson Ranch in the autumn - See why we are more than just a clothing-optional hot springs resort!

Valley View Hot Springs is entirely off the grid!
See what we ALL can do to reduce our energy footprint and lessen our contribution to climate change.

See here for information about the Orient Land Trust Privacy and Contact Policy.

The bylaws of Orient Land Trust state that "No discrimination shall exist toward any person, employee, member or guest in any program, activity or facility of the corporation
on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age or national or ethnic origin
".

Donations to Orient Land Trust are tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. See Ways to Give.


All photographs © Orient Land Trust

Last updated 30-Apr-2012