Home to Colorado’s most unexpected natural wonder, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is more than just a patch of sand-its a unique blend of the largest dunes in America wrapped around by snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the east and grasslands in the west.
4 WD recommended 
Dunes at dawn 
The first thing you notice when you get here is that all notions of what a sand dune that you might have are instantly challenged. The tallest dune here, the Star Dune, is 755 feet tall. These are the largest ones you can find in the country and there are miles of them.
Searching for that elusive signal 
Mankind was here 
Establishing the moving target
As you start hiking the dunes, it almost feels like the target is a constant moving landmark. The moment you feel you have conquered the tallest dune, another one appears and there is just no end in sight. After a while, if not for the horde of tourists, you might as well imagine that this is another planet. While climbing up is draining, running down taking leaps into the air or sledding down is worth it.
The journey to the top begins 
Sand everywhere 
All roads lead to the top, or do they…? 
Sand sledding has never been more popular 
Not everyone makes it to the top.
Another thing that might strike is the eerie silence especially at night. This park was registered as the quietest park in the lower 48 states in the country and you can feel it if you go venturing out at night. On that note, hiking the dunes at night under the stars is an experience of a lifetime.
If you are into other world experiences, this park does offer a pretty compelling experience. Nights are peaceful, quiet and if you are into it, the rangers do host several entertaining shows to liven things up. And the night sky is a sight to behold given that the light pollution is among the lowest across the country (with due respect to Death Valley and Joshua tree national parks)
Rangers liven it up 
Sun sets to give way to the moon
Fun Facts
- Park was established by Bill Clinton and signed into operation by G W Bush in Sept 2004.
- Hiking can be nightmarish during peak summers with ground temperatures reaching 150 F.
- Fall is the best time to visit. It is the quietest national park in the country.
- Lodging options are extremely limited. The only option is the Sand dunes lodge just outside the entrance.
- If you are carrying lenses, do not attempt changing them while you are among the dunes, the wind will cause sand particles to penetrate and possibly damage your sensor.
- It is not the easiest park to get to, the closest facilities are over an hour away (Alamosa).
- A day or two is plenty to cover the park even though it covers about 104,000 acres.
Sand dunes lodge 
Can’t go wrong with Colorado
