WELCOME TO GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK

EXPLORING DUNES, GRASSLANDS, FOREST, LAKES AND ALPINE PEAKS

September 20-21

Looking for a surreal beauty experience in the middle of nowhere? Your first question will be why are these Sahara like dunes in Colorado? 

These are the largest sand dunes in America and they are nowhere near the ocean. It's rather interesting how the sand got here and settled for miles between mountain ranges. As you drive in south central Colorado you can see the dunes from miles away. Stopped here enroute to New Mexico from Colorado Springs. We came up here just to see the park. Like most national

parks, we were not disappointed. 

These dunes in the middle of the desert, mountains of sand against the backdrop of the mountains are something to see.  While a beautiful anomaly in the mountains, there wasn't that much to do or see – unless of course you were a serious hiker or sand boarder.

750-foot tall sand dunes rise out of the base of mountains in southern Colorado are well worth your time to visit and are a spectacle to behold. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! The views were absolutely gorgeous like being in the middle of the Sahara instead of near the mountains in Colorado. Fall is absolutely beautiful and the best time to visit happened to be September when we found camping space available without a reservation.

The first day we hit the trail roads around the dunes. Those equipped with 4WD can extend their visit along a rough, ungraded road that leads deep into the park, with access to other dune fields and mountain trails. JR loves to take roads less traveled by. Naturally he drove us on a rough sandy narrow road, just shy of the Point of No Return. To go past that, one needed a high clearance 4WD. However he did use good judgment and turned back knowing our Jeep Liberty wasn’t up for the challenge. In fact, there's a lot of the park you can't see without a 4WD, which is unfortunate. This national park is unique in including mountains, 700' sand dunes, and wetlands in the same habitat. There is a good visitor center and informative orientation video. 

Early mornings and late afternoons offer the best times for photography, when the dunes come alive in a constantly shifting play of light and shadow. You can either hike the dunes, or hike the forests that are full of streams. The dunes are amazing. They just rise up from the ground against the mountains like it's the most natural thing in the world.

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We parked at the Dunes Parking area, grabbed cameras in tow, crossed a very shallow creek and hiked as far as time would allow until after sunset. The hike across Medano Creek was basically dry to the base of the dunes to catch the early evening light.  

Our best photos were at sunset to get the play of light and shadows on the dunes. Actually the sand was no harsher than that of the average beach. Climbing the dunes is far harder and more strenuous than it looks--you tend to slide back a foot for every two you advance. It's hard on the calves but a good workout.

Sitting down to wait for the sun to set on the horizon

Voila the moment came

 

Medano Creek at the sand dunes

The following morning a hike at sunrise up the shallow creek bed showed a few birds about and lots of animal tracks in the sand from critters seeking water after dark.

 

 It's just amazing what nature is capable of, so definitely a must-see if you're in the area. It is a great place for star gazing in a pitch-black night sky too. 

Bottom line, the park is worth a visit and such a random thing to behold in the middle of nowhere.