5/21/2019

 (/estherjuleeig)  (/pinterest)  (/youtube) 9 Things You Can't Miss at Great Sand Dunes National Park
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9 THINGS YOU CAN’T MISS AT GREAT

SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
Colorado (https://localadventurer.com/category/north-america/usa/colorado/) / Great Sand Dunes
(https://localadventurer.com/category/north-america/usa/colorado/great-sand-dunes-national-park/) / North America
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 2 Comments (https://localadventurer.com/great-sand-dunes-national-park-colorado/#comments)

After having visited White Sands National Monument (https://localadventurer.com/white-

sands-national-monument-new-mexico/)and Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes at Death Valley
(https://localadventurer.com/mesquite- at-sand-dunes-death-valley-ca/), we thought we could
handle hiking up the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Well.. the dunes were massive
and we felt like passing out mid-hike. The Great Sand Dunes are the tallest in North America
and you immediately feel small when you see them.

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Just to give you an idea of perspective, those little 9tiny
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9 THINGS TO DO AT GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK

1. HIKE TO THE HIGHEST DUNE YOU CAN!

“High Dune” is on the rst ridge, and contrary to how it looks, it’s not the tallest in the park but
still takes quite some effort to ascend! It sits at 699 feet and takes roughly 2 hours round trip to
hike. If you have the time and energy, Star Dune is another mile and a half away and is the tallest
dune in North America at 750 feet from base to top. It takes roughly 5 hours round trip to get
there.

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2. SANDBOARDING AND SAND SLEDDING

The most unique and fun thing to do at Great Sand Dunes is sandboarding. They don’t do
rentals at the park, so you have to rent special sand boards or sleds off-site, but it’s so worth the
stop! We got a board and sled at Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa
(https://localadventurer.com/kristi-mountain-sports), who are the only ones that rent out gear
year round. The staff was really helpful and knowledgeable, and they kept their gear in good
condition.

Sandboarding felt a lot like snowboarding and the dunes were steep and scary at rst. Jacob got
the hang of it quick, while my sandboarding skills were just as good as my snowboarding skills,
which meant lots of falling on my butt. Fun times! Eventually, I decided to just sled.

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3. SPLASH AROUND IN MEDANO CREEK

The creek runs along the dunes and you have to cross it to reach the dunes. During the late
Spring and early Summer season, the ow is much higher and attracts a lot of folks just to play
in the water and go tubing.

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5/21/2019 9 Things You Can't Miss at Great Sand Dunes National Park

4. DRIVE DEEP INTO THE PARK IN A 4WD

Medano Primitive Road will give you access to the remote portions of the park and preserve.
You do need a 4WD vehicle with high clearance as it gets rough and sandy.

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5. EXPERIENCE THE NIGHT

Get a backcountry permit and camp during the full moon. It will give you a totally different
experience. If you’re not into camping, you can still stop by at night to view the dunes from afar.
We took this 6 sec exposure lit by moonlight from our campground, Great Sand Dunes Oasis
(https://localadventurer.com/great-sand-dunes-oasis).

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6. SHOOT ENDLESS PHOTOS

The dunes are constantly changing, which gives you endless opportunities for photos! During
our visit, winds picked up during sunset and we were able to see the sand shift and wash away
any existing footprints. Pro-tip: Be sure to bring something to protect your camera if it gets too
windy. Jacob’s camera broke that day from the sand blowing in.

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7. EXPLORE THE PARK ON HORSEBACK

Most of the park can be explored via horseback. You can cover a lot more ground and get a
chance to see more of the dunes. Check online and with the visitors center for rules and
guidelines.

8. GO FAT BIKING

Unfortunately, you can’t ride your bike in most places in the park, but you can go fat biking on
the Medano Primitive Road. These special bikes with fat tires help you get through the terrain
without hurting the landscape.

9. STOP BY THE VISITOR CENTER

The visitor center can be a great resource for the current conditions of the park and they can
point you in the right direction, so you can make the most of your time in the park. A lot of the
rangers explore on their own and may know hidden gems that you won’t nd in the pamphlets.

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BONUS: HIKE TO ZAPATA FALLS

Although it’s not within the park, this is a popular hike that’s located roughly 5 miles from the
entrance of the park. The road to the trailhead is a rough, washboard 3-mile drive, and the hike
is only one-mile round trip. During the summer, you will have to wade in the creek through a
slot canyon to see the falls. In the winter, the creek freezes over in parts.

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Have you visited any dunes? What activity interests you most? Would you try sandboarding?

(https://localadventurer.com/estherjuleeig)

(https://localadventurer.com/jacobthefuig)

This road trip is part of the Endless Caravan (https://localadventurer.com/endless-caravan/). Join us by going out on the road
and using #EndlessCaravan (https://localadventurer.com/endlesscaravan-ig).

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THIS POST HAS 2 COMMENTS

MICHELLE (HTTP://WWW.THEWANDERINGQUEEN.COM)

2 FEB 2018 REPLY

This is really helping me with my trip for memorial day weekend! What did you
think of the Campground you stayed at? I am not sure if I should camp there or
do the backcountry permit. Thoughts on this?

ESTHER JULEE (HTTPS://LOCALADVENTURER.COM)

2 FEB 2018 REPLY

I’m so glad! I loved the campground. It had beautiful views of the dunes.
With a backpacking permit, you can actually sleep in the dunes, which I
think is a unique experience too. If I were to go back, I would probably do
one night in the dunes (it can get windy and you’ll get sand everywhere) and
spend the other nights at the campground. I hope you have a great trip,
Michelle! We love this park since it’s not as crowded as other NPs.

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