Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge occupies 11,169 acres in Colorado’s San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande southeast of Alamosa. Established in 1962 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the nearby Baca and Monte Vista refuges, it provides habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Its Rio Grande flood plain includes wet meadows, old oxbows, riparian areas, and drier uplands of greasewood and saltbush, supporting an unusually diverse animal community for its size. Water from the Rio Grande and the Closed Basin Project sustains its wetlands, while limited visitor access helps preserve its quieter, wilder character.