Make This A Stop If Your Going Through Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park
Written: Jul 20 '07
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Pros: Great Family Fun Spot When the Creek is Running, Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Little of the park is explorable in your car
The Bottom Line: A very interesting place to stop, if your passing by it anyway.
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| susieq112's Full Review: Great Sand Dunes National Monument |
As a National Park enthusiast, I love pre-planning my vacations, not down to minor details, but I like to know where I’m headed. When I planned our recent trip I started with about 50 destinations and slowly narrowed the list by two methods; 1.)What I really wanted to see, and 2.)Location, I couldn’t very well drive from Arcadia National Park to Death Valley and expect to be home within a months time. One of those destinations that managed to stay on our list of stops was Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, And I couldn’t be happier that we stopped there.
Where Is It? How Do I Get There?
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located near the middle southern part of the state. Two roads lead to the park entrance. From the north you can take 17 off of 285 or from the south you can take 150 off of 160. Great Sand Dunes is about 110 miles from Pueblo, CO which is the nearest larger city and about 155 miles from the famous destination Colorado Springs, CO.
Entrance Fee’s And Costs
The entrance fee in this park is 3 dollars per person (16+), with all children being free. The entrance fee covers a week, rather you stay for one day or take advantage of the week. A family annual pass can also be purchased for 15 dollars.
As with all National Parks you can by Interagency Passes also that admit you into all parks for an annual fee of eighty dollars, if you plan on going to very many national parks on you ventures this may be the best option. The National Park Service also offers a variety of entrance options and passes that you can get more information on at their web-site.
There is also a campground a few miles past the Visitor Center which is first-come first-serve for 14 dollars a night.
In The Park
There is only one ‘real’ road leading into the park, which is its main entrance to the south. The first place you will see is the Visitor Center, this is a good place to stop and get your bearings about the surrounding terrain and sights. The Visitor Center offers a mix of exhibits, a balcony to view the Sand Dunes from, a short video about the park and a small gift shop which houses souvenirs and books. Here you will find rangers to ask any additional questions you may have about the park.
Returning to the main road the next turn off is the parking lot for the Sand Dunes. Here you can take a quick walk through some brush and if your there at the right time of the year, Medano Creek.
Medano Creek is probably one of the most interesting attractions to Sand Dunes National Park, at least when it is there. We went to Sand Dunes in Mid-June, the creek was flowing at this time and we couldn’t even hardly find a parking spot on the Saturday we were there. This place was packed. People were heading out into the shallow creek with small sandy islands to sun bathe, let their kids play and otherwise have a great time relaxing in this sandy beach oasis.
A quick check at the National Parks site reveals that now (Mid-July) that the creek has all but dried up in this area. Yes, the creek comes and goes depending on how much moisture and rain there is.
It was here that I let my son explore a bit. I removed my shoes and we headed out to wade in the creek. In all my son had a blast, I had fun watching him and the scenery was beautiful. When it was time to leave not only was my son covered in sand and soaked to the bone, but I was also.
On the opposite side of the parking lot the Parks Service has erected a cleaning area for just such needs which included two, two sided outdoor showers, restrooms and changing rooms.
Of course the other main attraction here is the Sand Dunes. Past the creek or creek bed depending on the time of the year are the Sand Dunes. A sight to behold themselves you can also see the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range from the creek and during your hike to the Sand Dunes. The most popular dune to traverse is High Dune. At about 650 feet this is the tallest looking dune at the front of the dunes. From here you get a 360 degree view of the park and a good look at the tallest sand dune in North America Star Dune, rising 750 feet. As a visitor you are free to roam the Sand Dunes as you wish, we didn’t because even in mid-June the weather was especially hot and the sand itself was even hotter.
A little bit further down the main road of the park you will find Pinyon Flats the only campground found in Sand Dunes National Park. Past here you can driver up the road only a little further until you reach the Point Of No Return, here the road becomes ‘Primitive’ and only high clearance four wheel drives are allowed. The road is called Medano Pass and winds up over the mountains to 119.
Other features in the park include a few Forest Trails. Montville Nature Trail and Dunes Overlook/Sand Ramp Trail are both easily found on the east side of the road. Mosca Pass Trail connects in with Montville Trail but all seem to be fairly strenuous with elevation changes from the beginning, with the exception of Montville Nature Trail which is a half mile loop. The Medano Pass also features a few trails of its own as does the Dunes areas around Medano Creek.
Overall I am so pleased with our short visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. We spent approximately half a day at the park, primarily at the Medano Creek area. The creek offered tons of entertainment and the park was very busy the day we were there. Had we have come to the park when the creek was not flowing we would not have had as much fun as we did, but it would have still been a beautiful site to see. The Sand Dunes sit nestled up against the mountain range and offer some of the oddest combinations of scenery. In one photo my so looks like he is in the middle of the desert, the next he has mountains behind him…
This park is definitely unique in scenery and I have to recommend it to anyone passing by or going through the southern half of Colorado… Add it to your list, you will be amazed!
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Familes
Review Topic: Overview
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susieq112
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Procrastination ~ At this rate, I'll never finish my mini-doumentary...
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