by Michele Kadison

So, you’re driving along Highway 17 with the Sangre de Cristo mountains running by your side.   You must be on your way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the site of the highest sand dunes in North America.  You can’t tell just yet that these dunes are so high.  Against the Sangre de Cristos, they don’t look like all that much.  With peaks ascending to more than 14,000 feet, such as Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak, and Cleveland Peak and Mount Herald reaching to above 13,000 feet, you will be hard-pressed to find more breathtaking scenery.

Now you’re entering the road leading to the park and the dunes start to seem a bit more impressive.  You park.  You get out of the car and begin to walk, feeling your feet in the sand.  And now you are amazed.  Here are these enormous, undulating sand dunes stretching out before you, inviting you to climb and revel in them as the sun plays with light and shadow on their surface.

Activities in the Dunes
For a winter vacation trip, the dunes are ideal when covered in snow.  Take your skis, snowshoes, snowboard, or sled for a great downhill experience.  In the warm months, you can hike or take your skis or snowboard just like in winter to hit the dunes without the champagne powder and lifts.

For a great four-wheeling adventure, take the Medano Pass trail that extends from the national park 25 miles to the town of Gardner.  The drive takes you through dense aspen and pinon groves up to the high-altitude tundra that is part of the beauty of the region.

Wildlife around the Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve teems with wildlife.  Its best to have your camera ready as many of the following animals are bound to appear:  bison, elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, fox, and coyotes.  The area is also home to mountain lions and black bears who thankfully prefer not to socialize.

There are more than 88 camping sites for cars and tents throughout the more than 33,000 acres of parkland, making your stay in the Great Sand Dunes one that you will remember forever.

Park Information
The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the winter months and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer months.
Adult passes cost $3.00.  Camping fees are $14.00 per night in addition to the cost of a day pass.

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