P.O. Box 65  Villa Grove, Colorado  81155-0065
 719-256-4315
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
Web address: www.olt.org

Welcome to Orient Land Trust
Orient Land Trust is a nonprofit land trust 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 enjoyment of current and future generations. 100% of unrestricted donations go towards open space and land conservation.

*** New rates took effect on January 1, 2010. See 2010 Rates Here ***

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)
 

The 2010 Online Auction ends on September 30th... Bid on great items now!
In lieu of the raffle this year, Orient Land Trust is holding an Online Auction as our major 2010 fundraiser. We last did this in 2005 and it was very successful for OLT, plus great fun for everyone who bid on the many goods and services that were available. This year's auction started on the first day of Member Appreciation Weekend (June 25th) and will run through September 30th.

Seeking Donations of Items and Services for the Auction
If you are an artist, crafts-person, business owner, or anyone with something of interest to donate to OLT (art, furniture, gift certificates, vacations), please click the blue "Donate An Item" button or e-mail Terry Seitz. We are generally looking for unique items or services valued at $25 or more, though we will consider anything that would be of interest to OLT / Valley View fans. Thanks for your support!

Check out the latest OLT info in our July 2010 e-Newsletter.
This was e-mailed on July 15th to recent visitors on our e-mail list. See here for a web version of the e-Newsletter.

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.

~ Mid August ~
Our sunflowers are peaking now, as seen in this view from the Soaking Pond on August 19th.
See What's New and Mission for other late-summer Valley View images.

See the Orient Land Trust page on Facebook and add yourself as a "fan" 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.

Summer Volunteer Hosts Needed!
Every summer from mid-May through September, OLT needs on-site volunteers to help us in the campground, the Welcome Center, give tours to the Bat Cave, and watch the stars at night! We still have some openings for this year... it requires a commitment of 2 weeks to a month, and volunteers get free admission and camping at Valley View for the duration of their stay. See the Volunteering page for "job" descriptions and applications.
Time Slots Still Available:
Discovery Hosts needed for August 23 - early September

OLT 2009 Annual Report / 2010 Spring Newsletter.
Download a .pdf version of the 2009 Annual Report and Newsletter, our most interesting one yet! Of particular interest is a long article about the history of Valley View with photos and memories from OLT founders Neil & Terry Seitz. Click here to download OLT 2009 Annual Report.

* New * Cell Phone policy at Orient Land Trust effective February 1, 2010
In response to a new cell phone tower recently erected just a few miles from Valley View, Orient Land Trust is updating our Cell Phone Policy in order to preserve our peaceful atmosphere while allowing reasonable access to phone usage. See Cell Phone Policy page for details.

Important information on Caver access to the Orient Mine
Due to the White Nose Syndrome affecting bat colonies in the eastern US, the Orient Mine will be closed to caver access until further notice.
See Orient Mine Closure Information page for details. Note - this does not affect summer hikes to the cave to see the bat outflight.

We have an opening on our Board of Directors. See here for information on becoming a board member and helping to guide the future direction of OLT.

	How to get here - See Directions and Maps
	2009 Rates for Hot Springs Use and Lodging
	New to OLT / Valley View Hot Springs? See First-Time Visitor Information
	Why donate? A summary of Annual Contributor Benefits available to OLT members
	See What's New for current weather and road conditions, fire ban, and bat information
	A History and Overview of Orient Land Trust
	Everson Ranch in the autumn - See why we are more than just a clothing-optional hot springs resort!