"A valley, sand, and mountains." Great Sand Dunes National Monument by sswagner

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

The Sand Dunes - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Welcome one of Colorado's most unique areas. A notch in the Sangre de Cristo Range has allowed for an immense dune field to accumulate in the valley against the mountains. Wind has blown this sand from a sheet in the valley to this place and is constantly sculpting the dunes. Since the sand has nowhere to go, the dunes have become very lofty. They rise several hundred feet above the surroundings. This is a really fun place to come and explore the dunefield. It is great for families. Of course, there are some precautions to take such as ever changing weather, the high altitude, and dune conditions.

This is one of the finest areas in Colorado. Photographers enjoy the dunes because they are ever changing in appearance due to time of day and weather conditions.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A giant sandbox to play in, and it is in a fantastic setting.
Cons:Very cold in winter, the sand can be very hot in the summer
In a nutshell:You have picked an excellent choice as a place to bring your family to see.

Last visit to Great Sand Dunes National Monument: Jun 2004
Intro Written Jan 14, 2005
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Reviews (3)

Medano Creek - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Medano Creek Things to Do (2)

This creek forms a natural boundary between the dunefield and valley. The creek is supplied by snowmelt from the nearby... more travel advice

Dunefields - Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Exploring the dunefields Things to Do (2)

This should be number one on anyone's list of things to do here. Access to the dunes is easy, as one must simply park... more travel advice

Lodging at the Great Sand Dunes Hotels (1)

There is a campground in the park's boundaries (Pinyon flats) that runs on a first come, first serve basis. Just outside... more travel advice

Map of Great Sand Dunes National Monument

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Comments (2)

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mikelisaanna Dec 11, 2005 at 3:07 PM

Nice page. We visited the sand dunes about 10 years ago and rwally enjoyed them. Definitely a good place to get some exercise!
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caffeine_induced78 Jul 31, 2005 at 11:19 AM

Beautiful picture of Medano Creek. I have never seen it running but it's either been winter or fall when I visited. I will have to come here in the Spring. Well done!