UFO Watchtower, Observation platform in Hooper, Colorado, US.
The UFO Watchtower is an observation platform in Hooper, in Colorado's San Luis Valley. The viewing structure stands about 10 feet (3 meters) high on a large open property that also has a camping area and a gift shop.
A former cattle rancher opened this site in 2000 after getting county approval to turn her livestock property into a public attraction. The idea came from her personal interest in the unexplained lights and aerial events that people in this valley had been reporting for years.
The healing garden near the gift shop has three areas where visitors leave personal objects, following local beliefs about energy fields on this land. Many people come not just to watch the sky, but to take part in this small ritual.
Clear nights are the best time to visit, and warm clothing is a good idea since the open location at around 7,600 feet (2,300 meters) can get cold even in summer. The site sits along a quiet road in rural Colorado, so having your own vehicle is almost necessary.
The site keeps a logbook where visitors and locals write down their own accounts of lights and unusual movements in the sky, and it has gathered hundreds of entries over the years. The San Luis Valley is considered one of the most reported areas for such events in the entire country.
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