Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park preserves a surreal landscape where 750-foot sand dunes rise against the backdrop of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This seemingly impossible geological feature formed over 440,000 years as winds deposited sand from the San Luis Valley against the mountain barrier. The dunefield covers 30 square miles, constantly shifting yet remarkably stable. Medano Creek performs natural magic each spring, creating beach-like 'surge flow' waves that pulse across the sand. This seasonal phenomenon delights visitors who can experience ocean-like waves a thousand miles from any sea. The park encompasses diverse ecosystems from wetlands to alpine tundra, supporting over 200 bird species and endemic insects found nowhere else. Sandboarding and sand sledding down steep dune faces offers pure adventure. Night transforms the dunes into a moonscape perfect for stargazing. The contrast between environments - sand desert, wetlands, grasslands, and alpine peaks - creates extraordinary biodiversity. This dynamic landscape continues evolving, shaped by the same forces that created this pocket Sahara in the Colorado Rockies.

Water Features

Medano Creek, wetlands, alpine lakes

Ecosystem

This destination features a desert ecosystem.