Zapata Falls is a 30-foot waterfall in Colorado’s San Luis Valley near the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It stands on Bureau of Land Management land beside Rio Grande National Forest, just south of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Although the hike is only about 0.5 miles and mildly steep, the last stretch is more rugged, requiring visitors to ford the stream and climb over rocks to reach the waterfall. The site is also important for wildlife, as black swifts nest near the falls, making it one of the few known breeding locations for the species in Colorado.