This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to learn more.
We’re always looking for fun and unique things to do in Colorado, so when we heard about the annual La Junta tarantula “migration”, we knew we had to check it out!
So, the tarantula “migration” isn’t really a migration at all. Each fall, male Colorado brown tarantulas across southern Colorado (concentrated around the Comanche National Grassland) roam the area looking for their perfect mate. This usually occurs from mid-September into early November.
We were already on our way back from Pagosa Springs, so after a quick stop in Great Sand Dunes National Park, we decided to try our hand at tarantula spotting in La Junta since it was on the way home.
Also Read: Great Sand Dunes National Park: The Ultimate Guide to Colorado’s Most Surreal Landscape
Visiting La Junta during the Tarantula Festival
I absolutely love that the city of La Junta embraces the tarantulas. Coinciding with the migration, the city hosts a weekend-long tarantula festival. The festival features events such as parades, movie screenings, and special tarantula spotting tours.
We made a pit stop for lunch before tarantula spotting and loved the tarantula-themed festive spirit and decor around Main Street. We visited on a weekday before the festival, so we didn’t get to participate in any of the activities, although they looked super fun!
Also Read: Paint Mines Interpretive Park: A Hidden Gem Near Colorado Springs
The big event!! Tarantula Spotting
So did we get lucky and spot some tarantulas?
Before I get into that, I have to confess something. We made a rookie mistake. While we knew beforehand that the best time to spot tarantulas is right before sunset, we ended up getting to La Junta in the afternoon. We started to worry that we wouldn’t see any tarantulas at all!
As we approached the town, we saw something moving in the road. A tarantula! We immediately pulled over (luckily, no one else was in the road at the time) and snapped a few pics. It was so fascinating to see a tarantula up close and in the wild. We kept our distance so he could cross safely.
We decided to kill a little more time by having lunch and visiting Bent’s Old Fort. Bent’s Fort was super cool and a worthy stop — I’ll get into that more later. After these stops, we continued our quest to see as many tarantulas as possible.
Also Read: Fall Leaf Peeping near Cripple Creek, Colorado
Vogel Canyon & Highway 109
We read that you could spot tarantulas in Vogel Canyon, so that’s where we headed. To get there, you go south from La Junta on Highway 109. Little did we know that this would be where we spot most of the tarantulas!
Along Highway 109, we had to have seen at least seven or eight of these furry arachnids. Every time we’d see one scuttling across the street, we’d get so excited! I honestly never thought I’d be so giddy to see a spider.
Funnily enough, we never actually saw any in Vogel Canyon. We did a short hike near the picnic area, and the scariest thing we saw was a huge a** snake skin shed. Honestly, I was more scared of seeing that than I was of seeing a tarantula.
Also Read: Explore the Magic of Ice Castles in Cripple Creek, Colorado
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
Like I mentioned earlier, we decided to head to Bent’s Fort before seeing tarantulas. I’m so happy we did! We arrived just as a ranger-led tour began, which we had not anticipated. The ranger told us he actually worked here back in the 70s and 80s, when they would dress in historically accurate costumes and even cook and live in the fort. How cool!
The fort was so much cooler than I expected. It was a notable stop along the Santa Fe Trail, which connected Missouri to New Mexico. The fort was a place where pioneers and travelers could get some rest, barter goods, repair their tools, and feed their animals. Definitely a worthy stop if you’re ever in the area!
Also Read: Mulled Wine, Treats, and Cheer: Why You Should Visit Denver’s Christkindlmarket
Final Thoughts
Is going to the La Junta tarantula migration worth it? Absolutely! We loved it. While we didn’t see that many tarantulas (we have friends who saw dozens right before sunset), we feel lucky with the few that we did see. It’s a fun and unique thing to do in a part of Colorado that often gets overlooked.
