great sand dunes national park

Driving down the entrance road you'll see a sea of lavender off in the distance. I thought, lavender fields of France. Getting closer you realize, it's sand dunes! But wait, you see snow covered mountains, the Medano Creek, tall Ponderosa Pines, and a desert all within 30 square miles! Spectacular and unforgettable!Come slid down the Sand Dunes that are always sifting, gaze at a bi-zillion stars at night and just enjoy this very unique place.

This is the one of the coolest things we have ever done and seen. It's so beautiful. Warm sand in the early afternoon trekking up. The climb is hard but so worth it. On the way down the sand is cooler and the sun was setting. It was a quiet day and we practically had the park to ourselves. Best pictures ever! Making it to the top is an accomplishment. The sand is beautiful!! You must go!! It's an adventure you don't want to miss.

We have visited the Sand Dunes several times over the last 20 years. My wife's family has been going for many more years.......This is always a requested stop by my kids when passing through the area. Great fun and opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.Plan to play in the sand and get a little dirty.

absolutely in credible place ---why on earth its not rated as a natural wonder of the world , heaven knows

This place is simply amazing! It really feels like you have transcended into another dimension when hiking up the endless sand dunes. I rented a sand board at the nearby shop and "surfed" the dunes. Be sure to spray some wax on the board as the sand heats up and slows you down rather quickly. I'm a snowboarder so the feeling was similar, although if you wipe out I'd much rather hit snow than sand! This is a must stop of anyone traveling through Colorado...even if you don't hike, at least stop and take in the wonder!

Took the family for an outing here this summer. A little bit of a hike from Denver, but boy was it worth it in the end! There is a little stream running down right in front of the dunes which is very relaxing to just sit in, and then there are these giant, majestic dunes in front of you which to explore. Takes a long time to get to the top of the biggest dunes, but the view and time spent is so worth every second! I sat at the top for hours just looking at the landscape and far away views.Words of advice:-Keep Dogs on leash, or you'll get yelled at by Rangers-Wear shoes that cover you entire foot. The sand in the summer gets extremely hot and hurts-Don't waste money on the sand boards there to rent, they don't work that well-Take the time to stay or go back during the dusk hours, as the light is a cool thing to see.-If you are wheelchair bound, don't be afraid to go, as they have specialized chairs to use!

One of my new favorite National Parks! Beautiful, quite, sand, snow, great for running, great for sunsets and sunrises, and dog friendly! Doesn't get much better than that! Some more details and photos on my blog:http://driftingeverafter.weebly.com/a-triple-threat-sand-snow-and-sunsets.html

We visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park in July 2014. We were very amazed by the sand dunes and enjoyed our trip, and were thankful that we had read from several other reviewers to wear shoes that cover your feet. The sand does get very hot in the sun! We did enjoy our time hiking around, but really only stayed for about an hour and a half or so. For us, it was not worth the 4 hour drive from Denver. However, if you are staying in the area, it is a nice day trip. I would suggest stopping at nearby Zapata Falls.

Camped here the end of April/beginning of May 2014 in a 24 foot travel trailer. No reservations are allowed and the best sites (outer perimeter with nicest view of Sand Dunes) fill up quickly even during the week. Alot of the sites are rather open and close together so be prepared for some noise and lack of privacy. Our site was not very level. Wood is for sale on-site and the flush toilet bathrooms are in good condition. We didn't partake in any of the nature talks on-site.There are other interesting attractions in the area aside from the Great Sand Dunes. Zapata Falls is highly recommended but wear proper shoes for ice on trail through at least mid-May. Be careful if venturing too far on the four wheel drive trails near the campground in a regular car (saw lots of people doing it) as they are crowded and you can get stuck in the sand.The best part of the camping trip was seeing the full moon rise over the sand dunes. Surreal.

The Great Sand Dunes are a stunning landscape unlike any other I've ever seen. Nestled against the base of the Sangre de Christo Mountains, these jaw dropping dunes cover an astounding 32 square miles and tower an incredible 750 feet into the sky. While the dunes may not appear very tall on approach, once you arrive their scope becomes evident and you realize that they are truly enormous. You may go up the dunes during the day and even the night (the starlight is truly intense enough to light the way). You may take dogs onto the dunes, but it is not recommended during the heat of the day in the Summer, as the sand can get hot enough to burn their paws. At sunset, the light is incomparable... the combination of the light off the dunes and the Sangre de Christo Mountains creates an epic spectacle that one often only finds among the pages of a storybook. At night, experience the splendor of constellations leaping out of the bands of the Milky Way that sparkle brilliantly above. The San Luis Valley is ringed with mountains and only a few small towns which are a good distance from behind the dunes, making this an ideal stargazing locale. At 2am, I had to shield my eyes from the moonlight in order to see the path I was walking on. We woke to mule deer walking through our campsite on their way out of the mountains and towards the dunes. Warning: If you leave your sandy shoes outside your tent to cut down on tracking sand in, they are also salty with sweat, and have the potential to be treated as salt licks by the deer (it actually happened to us!) and you'll wake not only to the scratchy sound of their being licked, but to slightly soggy and slimy shoes in the morning. There is a convenience store in the camp loop that sells food and basic camping supplies in case if you forgot anything or decide to lengthen your stay. Local businesses rent sand boards and sleds that you can use on the dunes, or you can bring your own (Hint - toboggans work better than saucers, and your snowboards and skis won't work). Grab them on the way in so you don't have to take over an hour round trip to rent them later. While a day trip is quite beautiful, I highly recommend camping in order to experience the dunes at every phase of the day.

Fortunately passed The Great Sand Dunes on the way back from Pagosa. Who knew This would be a great memory from the family trip. It was simply amazing to be around nature's beauty so distinct from other parts of Colorado. It's only 15 or so miles off the main road and definitely worth the trip as the main trip or a side trip. It's a fabulous family trip no matter the age of the kids. Even our 14 year-old son and 16 year-old daughter loved it! All 4 of us ran around like little kids, racing and taking pictures without a care in the world. Quite a lovely beautiful surprise.

As you are driving up from far away to this site in the middle of nowhere it doesn't look that impressive. And then you get there, and start trying to climb it and it is AMAZING. The medano creek flowing was a nice touch, and the pitch black at night provided the best view of the milky way I have ever seen. The visitor centre is educational, though nothing outstanding. If you love nature, geology or the great outdoors I hope you make it here at some point. It's incredibly.

This was my second visit to Great Sand Dunes and the visitor facilities and interpretation have improved since the first visit. There are some good interactive exhibits in the visitor center. But you have to leave the visitor center and walk along or wade over Medano Creek to appreciate the huge scale of the dunes. Most visitors miss the short trails, such as the self-guided nature trail and overlook trail, and they are worthwhile. If you have children, ask the rangers where they can find "circus beetles," an insect that does headstands when alarmed.

From the distance it just looks like a big pile of sand. But you'll really be surprized once you start up this MOUNTAIN of sand. If you make it up to the top, you'll swear you're treking across the Sahara Desert. What a beath-taking view. Don't forget the camera! Then you'll stand there in amazement, wondering where in the world all this sand came from. It's puzzling, cause the sand is just as fine as what you'll find on the beach, but where is the ocean? Oh, don't worry. They do have a nice visitor center that does an excellent job explaining with displays and a movie. The National Park Service does charge a fee per vehicle, but a National Park Pass also gets you in. It's WELL WORTH visiting if you're in the area.

We visited this National Park at the beginning of December. The weather was warm for this time of year. The visitor's center is excellent and provided very good explanations for the unique dunes and how they are maintained by the weather of this high valley. The facilities were clean and staff very friendly.