Great Sand Dunes National Park
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In Colorado, a state filled with gorgeous mountain ranges, you might not expect to also find the tallest sand dunes in North America. Nestled against the Rocky Mountains, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a wonderful national park that includes not only the dunes themselves but also forest and mountain trails.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park is located in southern Colorado, a little over 200 miles south of Denver and about 70 miles north of the New Mexico border. The park isn’t exactly near anything so it takes a bit of driving to reach. We came from Pagosa Springs and then headed down Colorado 17. We turned at the large sign for the park onto Lane 6 N and from here it was about 25 minutes to the park. Alternatively, it’s about a 25 minute drive if coming from US 160 and driving up CO 150.
The best part of the drive in is seeing the full extent of the dunes just off in the distance. We made sure to stop on our way in to get a few pictures. Further into the park is the visitor’s center and past that is the main parking for the dune area.
From the parking lot we walked down through a small treeline and onto the sand. At this point the dunes and all their glory were right in front of us. However we did have to get to them first, and it was roughly a 10 minute walk through the sand till we could climb the dunes. All along the way we looked up at the dunes in the distance, and they didn’t seem too high, but seeing other people as tiny specks on the slopes let us know just how high they are.
We did manage to see a small bit of snow on the dunes. We saw some on our drive in, but the majority of the snow was further into the dunes than we had time to explore.
One part of the dunes that is easy to overlook, especially if guests have walked over them, are the beautiful patterns the blowing wind creates on the shifting sands. Fortunately, all signs of man seem to be erased by these winds rather quickly.
On our visit, we only had time to hike up the High Dune on First Ridge, the main dunes you can see when approaching the dunes from the main parking lot. This took us about two hours to go up and come down, and most of that time was spent on the hard trek uphill in loose, soft sand. The ascent was quite hard at times when the sand would break with every step. The sand fortunately would sometimes hold its structural integrity and make the climb much easier, but this didn’t happen too often. The greater the slope the more likely the sand will break from what we experienced. Although it was difficult, the views all along the way were spectacular!
From the top of the High Dune we were treated to a spectacular panoramic view of the the dunes we just hiked, the dunes beyond High Dune, and the snowy mountains off bordering the park.
Even if you do not hike very far up the steep dunes, you can still appreciate the wide expanse of sand, tall dunes, and nearby misty mountains. While we were there, we were lucky enough to see falling snow swirling around on the mountainsides. There was a beautiful contrast between the desert-like dunes and forested, snow-capped rocky mountains.
One popular activity on the dunes is sand sledding! You have to use specially designed sand sleds for this activity; snow sleds will not work. Stores outside the park rent these sleds to visitors. We were amazed at some of the extremely steep and tall inclines visitors slid down! We were limited on time and couldn’t spare any to stop at a store to rent one. Maybe on a future trip we’ll be able to try it.
Make sure you’re prepared for hiking the dunes; hiking in sand is tough, especially on such steep inclines! Bring water and appropriate shoes and clothes for the seasonal weather (depending on the time of year when you visit) and wear sunscreen. In the summer, it’s recommended that you hike in the early morning or late evening as the sand temperatures can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) during the day! The dunes are also susceptible to summer afternoon lightning storms, which are especially dangerous because the lack of trees on the dunes means that hikers are more likely to be struck by lightning. We’ve read (and observed!) that the wind starts to pick up around midday, as well. It was not windy when we started hiking around 10 am on a late March afternoon, but by 12 pm when we began our descent there was a very stiff wind blowing up sand and making it even more difficult to walk.
For those with more time on their hands, you can also visit forest trails with views of the dunes and Mosca Creek. This park has a lot to explore, and we’d love to return one day to spend more time there!
The Great Sand Dunes National Park was gorgeous and easily one of our favorite parks that we’ve been to. Next time we’ll have to dedicate more time to further trek into the dunes and see more of what this wonderful park has to offer.
Google Maps Link: Great Sand Dunes National Park
