Entry No. 22 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: witchy

Great Stupa of Dharmakaya

Rising 108 feet at 8,000 feet elevation in the Rockies northwest of Fort Collins, the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya is the tallest stupa in North America. Built over thirteen years beginning in 1988 to memorialize Tibetan Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, it was consecrated in 2001 and cast in a concrete formula engineered to last a thousand years. Its full ceremonial name is "the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya Which Liberates Upon Seeing." Unlike most stupas, the ground-floor assembly hall is open to visitors and holds a large gilded Buddha in the Gandharan style; upper levels contain chambers, frescoes, and a three-dimensional mandala. The surrounding property is run by Drala Mountain Center.

The move: Drive the Poudre Canyon route up to 8,000 feet, walk the exterior circuit with mountain views in every direction, then step inside the ground-floor assembly hall to sit quietly with the gilded Buddha. The combination of scale, silence, and altitude makes it genuinely disorienting in the best way.

📍 Before you go Open 9 am to sundown; no admission fee but donations accepted. No pets allowed anywhere on the campus. At 8,000 feet, bring water and sun protection — altitude dehydration hits fast. GPS routes you through Poudre Canyon; road conditions can be rough in wet or winter weather, so check ahead. The drive from Fort Collins is roughly 1.5 hours. The retreat center campus beyond the stupa is for registered participants only.

• 📍 Red Feather Lakes
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 151 Shambhala Way, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545

Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-11