{Crane migration at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie} Witness thousands of cranes, ducks and geese fly sky high in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Every March these magnificent birds migrate to the San Luis Valley in time for the Monte Vista Crane Festival.
The Monte Vista Crane Festival is held from Friday to Sunday, March 6th to 8th, 2020 in the San Luis Valley. Festival-goers enjoy a range of activities, including photography workshops, sandhill crane tours, guest speakers and guided visits to local parks and canyons. Events at the Monte Vista Crane Festival take place at a number of locations around the San Luis Valley.
Festival Event Schedule
This year’s keynote speakers are TBD. The presentation is held Saturday 7:30pm at Vali 3 Theatre in Monte Vista. There’s a Craft & Nature Fair held over three days in the town’s Ski Hi Building. Dates and events listed are subjected to change. The bulk of the wildlife viewings are held at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, just south of Monte Vista, CO.
Friday, March 6:
- Photography Workshop
- Sandhill Crane Sunrise Tour
- Great Sand Dunes National Park Tour
- Sandhill Crane Tour
- Movie: HOOT
Saturday, March 7:
- Birder’s Breakfast
- Photography Workshop
- Sandhill Crane Sunrise Tour
- Noon Hawks Aloft Valley Raptor Tour
- Penitente Canyon Tour
- Elk On The Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
- On Waterfowl and Water Rights: Cinnamon Teal in the San Luis Valley
- Colorado Breeding Birds Atlas II
- Birding in Ecuador
- Sandhill Crane Tour
Sunday, March 8:
- Photography Workshop
- Sandhill Crane Sunrise Tour
- Noon Hawks Aloft Valley Raptor Tour
Monte Vista Accommodations
Details
Address: MV National Wildlife Refuge, 6120 CO-15, Monte Vista, CO 81144
Date: Fri-Sun, March 6-8, 2020
Website: mvcranefest.org
