Great Sand Dunes National Park
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Great Sand Dunes National Park
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Great Sand Dunes Visitor Guide
At the foot of the
spectacular Sangre de Cristo mountain range, in southern Colorado's San
Luis Valley, the highest sand dunes in North America rise more than 750
feet to create a The dunes were first protected as a National Monument in 1932. The area was upgraded to National Park status in in 2000. With park status the boundaries were expanded to over 84,000 acres. The park now includes alpine lake, tundra and forest as well as the sand dunes. Today the park attracts visitors interested in hiking, camping and wildlife watching, as well as those who just want to play in the sand. The park is a popular place to build a sand castle or fly a kite. Children of all ages just seem to love sliding down the dunes. To reach the dunes drive north from U.S. Hwy 160 approximately 35 miles northeast of Alamosa. The park offers a variety of trails: High Dune, Star Dune, and Medano Creek are the most popular routes. Consider a walk on the dunes around sunset; what better way to watch the closing of the day than from a dune ridge line? Moonlight walks on the dunes can also be an enchanting experience.
There is no foodservice or
lodging available inside the park. The nearest accommodations are hotels
in Alamosa. There is one campground
available for those who would like to stay a few days. The Pinyon
Flats Campground has 88 sites available on a first-come- For more information visit: This page last updated: |
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geologic wonderland unlike any other. For
centuries wind has swept across the open San Luis Valley, picking up
fine grains of sand as it went, only to deposit it at the base of the
mountains. The ever-shifting dunes are a place of mystery, a place
where ripples of light and shadow challenge the artist or photographer
to interpret nature's forms. 
