Entry No. 3 — the Pueblo file — filed under: oddities
Colorado Gators Reptile Park
“A garbage disposal crew now 300-plus, steaming through 30-below winters at 7,500 feet.”
In 1977 the Youngs drilled into 87-degree geothermal water to farm tilapia in the San Luis Valley. In 1987 they bought 100 baby alligators as a garbage disposal for the fish guts. The disposal crew now numbers 300-plus — mostly confiscated pets and airport contraband — steaming in the shallows through 30-below winters at 7,500 feet. Morris, the gator who ate Chubbs's hand in Happy Gilmore, is retired here. Hold a baby gator and they notarize your Certificate of Bravery with its bite.
The story
In 1977, the Young family drilled into the San Luis Valley floor, hit 87-degree geothermal water at 7,500 feet elevation, and set up a tilapia farm. Ten years later, drowning in leftover fish guts, they bought 100 baby alligators to act as a living garbage disposal. Nobody set out to build a high-altitude reptile sanctuary in south-central Colorado; the alligators simply kept eating, the warm artesian water kept them from freezing in 30-below winters, and word got out.
Before long, wildlife officers, airports, and overwhelmed pet owners started dumping their confiscated exotic animals on the farm. Today, the cleanup crew numbers over 300 alligators steaming in geothermal shallows alongside exotic snakes and tortoises. Among the permanent retirees is Morris, the 500-pound alligator famous for taking Chubbs Peterson's hand in *Happy Gilmore*. A devastating early-morning fire in April 2023 destroyed the park's indoor sanctuary building and killed over 100 reptiles and tortoises, but the outdoor geothermal ponds and rescue operation remain open.
What it's like
Pull off Highway 17 onto a gravel lot three miles south of Hooper, open your car door, and hit a thick wall of warm sulfur, raw fish, and wet scale. You're walking dirt paths between geothermal ponds where armored snouts cut through steam against a backdrop of valley flats. Wear closed-toe shoes you care nothing about, because the ground stays damp and the fish scent clings. Standard admission lets you step up to hold a wriggling baby gator, at which point a staffer will notarize your paper Certificate of Bravery using the small reptile's teeth as the official stamp. If you want bigger bragging rights, call ahead to book the gator-handling class, where you'll wade in to wrestle mature reptiles and walk out with a Certificate of Insanity.
The move: Hold a baby gator together for the photo and walk out with matching bite-notarized Certificates of Bravery — or book the gator-handling class ahead and upgrade to a Certificate of Insanity.
📍 Before you go The park sits on the east side of Highway 17 about three miles south of Hooper and 17 miles north of Alamosa, with a gravel lot right at the gate. Paths between the geothermal ponds are dirt and the air smells honestly of fish and reptile, so wear closed shoes you do not love. Holding a small gator is a walk-up activity, but the gator-handling class runs by appointment — arrange it ahead if you want the bigger bragging rights. Pair it with the UFO Watchtower a few minutes up the highway in Hooper, or Great Sand Dunes National Park about half an hour east.
- 📍 Mosca (between Hooper and Alamosa)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 9162 Lane 9 N (east side of CO-17, 3 miles south of Hooper), Mosca, CO 81146
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- UFO Watchtower — Drive six miles north on Highway 17 to scan the valley skies for unexplainable aircraft from a ten-foot metal viewing platform after wrangling cold-blooded reptiles.
- The Greenhouse at Sand Dunes Recreation — Head five miles north to wash off the dirt and fish smell in a 100-plus-degree geothermal soaking pool housed inside an indoor greenhouse.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park Night Sky Programs — Head 20 miles east to trade swamp steam for massive sand slopes under one of the darkest starlit skies in North America.
Good to know
How do alligators survive sub-zero Colorado winters at 7,500 feet?
An underground geothermal well continually pumps 87-degree artesian water into the outdoor ponds, keeping the shallows warm enough for the reptiles even when air temperatures plunge to 30 below zero.
Do you need a reservation to hold an alligator?
Holding a baby alligator for a photo and a bite-notarized Certificate of Bravery is a walk-up activity included with admission. The full gator-handling class requires advance booking.
Is the alligator from Happy Gilmore really at this park?
Yes, Morris—the 500-pound alligator who famously bit off Chubbs Peterson's hand in the 1996 movie—is retired here.
What should I wear when visiting?
Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes you don't mind getting dirty. The pathways between the geothermal ponds are dirt, and the air carries a strong, persistent smell of fish and water.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Roadside America · Wikipedia · roadtrippers.com
last checked: 2026-06-11