Colorado National Parks: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

| Sep 07, 2018 | Uncategorized

 

 

Living in Denver means you’re surrounded by several amazing national parks to explore. Not surprisingly, the Mile High City is home to many active outdoor-loving residents. One of the most unique national parks within driving distance from Denver is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. This park, located around 4 hours from Denver, contains the tallest sand dunes in the country. Its landscape is diverse and contains alpine lakes, tundra, grasslands, wetlands, and conifer and aspen forests. This extraordinary park attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year who come to surf and sled on the dunes, stargaze in one of the most beautiful places around, and enjoy the vast natural beauty. For Denverites, it makes a great weekend getaway or a full week’s vacation.

 

Getting there

If you’re tight on time, take I-25 South, which takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. Though this is the faster way, it’s the less scenic one. If you have time to stop and enjoy the views, take Highway 285 to Highway 17. This drive is beautiful and takes you through many small towns to explore, including Fairplay and historic South Park. It also takes you through several mountain passes, and you’ll drive alongside Mount Antero as well as Mount Evans. When you do arrive at the park, be sure to stop at the Visitor Center to learn more about the history and formation of the sand dunes as well as experience their many landscape-inspired exhibits.

 

Park overview and history

While scientists haven’t pinpointed the exact age of the sand dunes, they speculate that they formed around 440,000 years ago. These magnificent mountains of sand are the major draw for visitors to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. This massive sandbox spans about 30 square miles and the tallest dune measures over 750 feet high. The national park includes plenty of spaces to picnic, a couple of 14,000 and 13,000-foot peaks to climb, horseback riding options, as well as the Medano Creek to splash around in.

 

Activities and Trails

 

Sandboarding and Sand Sledding:

Sandboarding and sand sledding are some of the most unique and popular activities to try. Park-goers can rent specific equipment from several nearby retailers and experience the joy of sledding year-round. They recommend sledding on the first high ridge of dunes near the main Dunes Parking Area since the sand is softer and easier to stop on than other areas.

 

Medano Creek swimming:

This creek’s water flow is dependent on the snow melt from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above the dunes. When the creek is full, it’s a popular spot to splash and dip, especially for younger visitors. This past winter of 2017/2018 was relatively dry, and creek seems to have followed suit for the most part.

 

Medano Pass Primitive Road:

Medano Pass Primitive Road is a prime spot for 4-wheel-drive vehicles or cyclists on “fat bikes” to explore in the park. It’s a challenging 22-mile ride that’s only open during the warmer months and connects Great Sand Dunes with the Wet Mountain Valley and Colorado State Highway 69. The road consists of deeper sand areas, crossings over the Medano Creek, and passes bighorn sheep habitats. If you decide to ride by vehicle, allot for a 3-hour ride.

 

Stargazing:

Since this park is in a rural location at 8,200 feet in elevation, it’s a stargazer’s paradise. The park even offers astronomy programs on some evenings from May to September, so you could plan a trip around that if you’d like to learn more.  

 

Ranger programs:

This park is quite family-friendly, with free ranger programs for kids to enjoy. From late May through October, they offer many ways to immerse and educate people about the park environment. This includes activities like learning about the dunes’ geologic and human history, art activities like sketching the dunes, as well as guided stargazing.

 

Camping:

For those looking to completely immerse themselves in the landscape, camping is possible in the park at a few different spots. The Piñon Flats Campground is run by the National Park Service, and there are also 4WD-accessible spots along Medano Pass Road. Upon getting a permit from the Visitor Center, you can also opt to backcountry camp.

 

Hiking and backpacking trails:

With a couple of 14,000- and 13,000-foot peaks to climb, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a hiker’s playground. Check out Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak, Cleveland Peak and Mount Herard for some great hiking. At the last light of the day, it’s worth hiking up the dunes to see the golden light paint the dunes at dusk.

 

Making the 4-hour trek from Denver to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve will bring you to a landscape of sand and stars. Whether you choose to challenge yourself with a day of hiking or simply gaze at the expanse of natural beauty, this scenic park is worth the trip.