Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
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Closest available address
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11500 State Highway 150 Mosca, CO 81146
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Park is open 24 hours all year. Visitor center hours vary but usually 9-5.
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(719) 378-6300
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Half day
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October 2010
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All year
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$0-9
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Mosca
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Colorado
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Website
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Nature
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National Parks
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Great Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes were created in 1932 as a National Monument and in 2004 were established as a National Park and Preserve. These dunes located in Southern Colorado are the tallest dunes in North America. The serene park is in the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. The park is only 30-square miles and offers visitors a chance to explore various outdoor activities.
Visitors come to the Great Sand Dunes year round and are able to see the variety of Colorado climate changes as well as Colorado wildlife. There are opportunities to experience different activities depending on the weather. Medano Creek flows from Spring to early Summer and is located near the visitors center. Tourists generally walk through the Creek to access the Great Sand Dunes.
During our visit in October, there was no evidence of any water in the Medano Creek and we were able to hike right into the dunes. Tourists were able to hike, explore, and sandboard down the dunes at this time of year. In the winter skiing and sledding are added popular activities in the park. Limited lodging is available in the park, there are options for camping on or near the Dunes. The Great Sand Dunes have limited motel options in the area, there are more options 30-45 miles away in towns like Monte Vista and Alamosa. There are many nearby attractions worth checking out if you are in the area, most notably Zapata Falls Recreation Area, Wildlife Refuges, historic sites and a scenic byway.
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