"Great Sand Dunes!" Top 5 Page for this destination Great Sand Dunes National Monument by frank_delargy

Great Sand Dunes National Monument Travel Guide: 68 reviews and 129 photos

sand, sand everywhere - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

A great mixture of panoramic and close up detail

As you approach the Great Sand Dunes of South West Colorado, you gradually become aware of just how big they really are. And you start asking yourself the question,.. Why here?
It is somewhat mysterious.. was all this sand deposited here by water, by wind, by ice?
Why are the dunes so high?
How many egg-timers can I fill with the sand I see.

Geology

Sand

To answer the preceding questions (except for the egg-timer one), please see the general tip 'Geology' which is purloined from DesertUSA web site.
http://www.desertusa.com

Life!

Life .. visible and not

Sand Dunes are not devoid of life. On the contrary, a whole ecosystem exists here. This is especially true by the river that bounds the dunes, but even within the heart of the dunefields seeds, insects and moisture gather.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Sahara in the middle of the USA
Cons:A tad crowded around the visitors center area
In a nutshell:A must see if you are in the area

Last visit to Great Sand Dunes National Monument: Aug 2004
Intro Updated Dec 14, 2004
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (13)

on the road - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Getting there is half the fun? Things to Do (6)

The roads into and out of Great Sand Dunes offer beautiful panoramas and a typical western US experience. As you... more travel advice

camping in the dunes - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Camping Things to Do (6)

As you can see from the picture, tent camping is a very good option here. These campers were set up a few hunded yards... more travel advice

a Sun from the desert floor - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Flowers Things to Do (6)

A surprise to many is how many beautiful flowers you can see in desert areas. This is particularly true after a... more travel advice

Grazing deer in Great Sand Dunes - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Wildlife Things to Do (6)

If you get away a bit from the crowd, you should be able to see wildlife. Here you can see a deer grazing just below the... more travel advice

Warnings and Dangers (2)
See All Don't get stuck in the soft sand road
Off The Beaten Path (1)
get away from the crowd - go a bit...
Been to Great Sand Dunes National Monument?
Share your travels with the world!

Comments (7)

Reply
- Report abuse
basstbn Feb 13, 2006 at 12:29 PM

Nice page with lots of helpful hints - hope to hit this spot this summer.
Reply
- Report abuse
Waxbag Jan 25, 2005 at 5:58 AM

Dune ecosystems are facinating. Interesting page here.
Reply
- Report abuse
CoAir13 Jan 14, 2005 at 4:35 AM

Politics with a cowboy? No thanks! Very cool page...GREAT info!!
Reply
- Report abuse
JetlagCity Dec 6, 2004 at 4:18 PM

Hahaha, I see you have a good sense of humor with your tip on how to break the ice with the local wranglers! These dunes look bigger than the ones I saw in Utah. I love places like this!
Reply
- Report abuse
annk Nov 9, 2004 at 9:43 AM

Your photos are fantastic, colors awesome! Another park I must visit someday.
Reply
- Report abuse
JLBG Nov 9, 2004 at 5:18 AM

I went once to the Great Sand Dune. That was great, There was sand. It made dunes ! Your page remind me of that (too short) visit. Thanks.
Reply
- Report abuse
XueLangZi Oct 12, 2004 at 8:13 AM

haha~~ lovely photo.......I like it! thanks for sharing......any more? look forwad.......=)