Great Sand Dunes National Park (Tips to Visit the Tallest Dunes in North America)

When you think about visiting giant sand dunes, like the ones above, Colorado is probably the last place that comes to mind. And yet here in this state, known for its mountains and snow skiing, are the largest dunes in North America rising over 750 feet high!

Beautifully wind sculpted, and spanning over 30 miles, this breathtaking sea of sand, is just begging to be played on.

(Can you find the 8 people, in the picture above, on the dune’s top ridge line. These sand dunes are huge!)

Great Sand Dunes National Park was something that our family just had to check out!

So How Did These Enormous Sand Dunes Get Here?

This was a question that I was wondering myself. How were these sand dunes created and why were they in southern Colorado?

Well, it turns out that these enormous sand dunes lie between two large mountain ranges, the Sangre de Cristo and the San Juan Mountains. A long time ago the valley between these two ranges was filled with a huge amount of water from the melting glaciers of the surrounding mountains. Then, for some reason, this lake suddenly receded and drained. Scientist think that extreme water pressure broke through the volcanic deposits on the southern end and it drained into the Rio Grande River. What remained were sand sheets spread out over the valley floor.

This sand was then blown by a predominant southwest wind towards the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and this caused it to accumulate into natural pockets in the valley. But during storms, strong winds blew the sand away from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and back down toward the valley. These two opposing winds created a deposit of sand that has continued to grow vertically into the dunes we see today.

Another factor that contributes to the Great Sand Dunes growth is the Medano and Sand Creeks. These two creeks run from the mountains into this valley. And on the way they capture sand from up in the mountains and continuously bring it down into the valley. This constant supply of new sand, along with its unique position between two mountain ranges and having strong opposing winds has, over thousands of years, created these giant sand dunes in Colorado that we see today. They are the tallest and most dramatic dunes in the United States and an incredible sight to see!

Top Things to Do at Great Sand Dunes National Park?

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There are several things that your family can do at Great Sand Dunes National Park. But honestly, running up and down these enormous sand dunes is the best! This is probably the first thing your kids will want to do anyway, because they are Really Huge Sand Dunes! This alone will provide hours of fun for your children! And trust me, it will completely wear them out.

Keep in mind that the elevation here is 7,874 feet, so if your family is not used to elevation you will get out of breath much quicker here.

This is what the road looks like driving up to the dunes. You’ll park in Dunes Parking which is close to where the sand dunes start.

During the Summer, plan your visit for the evening or in the early morning. During mid-day the sand’s temperatures can reach 150° F and the sand will burn your feet. We decided to visit on a summer evening and I would recommend this. The sand was cool on our feet and after they were done playing we could get them easily showered at our nearby hotel.

Fun Pictures To Take Here

I love taking pictures and Great Sand Dunes National Park made an incredible setting to take some really fun shots!

Our kids had a blast sanding on the dune ridge, jumping in the air and running down the slopes!

The Pictures Here Almost Look Unreal! And Definitely Not Anything I Ever Thought Existed in the United States!

Our family spent 2 hours here just playing on the dunes!

Side Note: When the wind blows the sand will hit your skin and it can sting and be annoying. I would recommend wearing a hiking pants and have a sun shirt with you to block the sand’s sting. Although my two older boys didn’t mind it too much, my youngest didn’t like it at all and used me as his wind blocker the entire time. Keep this in mind if you have a skin sensitive child.

And don’t forget to bring water bottles with you here. With the altitude and the heat you want to make sure you and your children stay hydrated. If you are looking for good travel water bottles, we like the Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free 16 oz Water Bottle. It’s easy to carry, simple to clean (which is essential when traveling) and comes in a variety of colors (so each family member can have their own color.) I also love how it is clear so that I can quickly see how much my children are drinking which is really important when in a desert type environment.

Other Things Your Family Can Do At Great Sand Dunes National Park

Stop By the Visitor Center

Watch the 20 minutes movie about the park and take a minute to explore the interactive exhibits.

Become a Junior Ranger

The Junior Ranger Program is a great way for kids to learn about this incredible park! Just stop at the visitor center and pick up a booklet. There are three different age groups to pick from. Have your child complete their age appropriate activities. You will need to check out a Junior Ranger backpack with a compass, magnet, measuring tape, etc. Your child will get to make observations, draw pictures and take measurements. Then return the backpack and booklet for your child to receive their Junior Ranger Badge or Patch!

Hiking

Hike to the top of High Dune on First Ridge (699′ tall). This is the most common destination of hikers but I wouldn’t recommend it for families with younger kids. It is strenuous and there are no trail markers. This hike takes about 2 hours round trip.

Hike to Star Dune (750′ tall). This is a 5 hour round trip hike that goes to the tallest dune in North America. The trail to Star Dune needs to be started early in the morning and again I don’t recommend it for families due to its strenuous nature.

Play in Medano Creek

This is a fun activity for families but there is only a short window of opportunity. In late April (the second snowiest month of the year here) the cold creek may be a few inches deep. In late May the creek may have some surge flows up to about 20″ high. By the second week of June the the creek becomes lower and mosquitoes begin to emerge. By late June the water level is only 1-2″. Please note that this is a very popular activity and this area can become quite crowded.

Sandboarding and Sand Sledding

To enjoy this activity you’ll first need to get a sandboard or sand sled that is specifically made for sand and has a special wax on the bottom. The National Park does not rent these and they can only be rented or purchased from four locations in the San Luis Valley. Snow sleds, snowboards, cardboard and saucers don’t slide well. The main place to go sledding is on the slopes of the first high ridge of dunes.

Experience the Night

Great Sand Dunes National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park! View thousands of stars on a clear moonless night. Kids can even earn a Junior Ranger Night Explorer Patch, for ages 5-12. Just pick up a booklet at the Visitor Center for more information.

Here’s a link to a Visitor’s Guide for more information.

Where Exactly is Great Sand Dunes National Park?

Great Sand Dunes National Park is located in southern Colorado by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is approximately 4 hours south of Denver, CO, or about 3 hours north of Santa Fe, NM. Either way it’s a pretty long drive to get there, and to be honest I think an hour of the drive looks like the picture below.

It was crazy how the road just kept going and going and going. I seriously started to wonder whether there were any sand dunes out here at all!

Before taking this drive check out my post on 10 Fantastic Toys for Your Next Family Road Trip (non-electronic) to help you pass the time on this drive. You’re probably going to need a few tricks up your sleeve to pass the time on this drive.

Even though the drive is long, getting to see the tallest dunes in North America makes it completely worth it!

Hotel Recommendation

Great Sand Dunes Lodge

7900 State Highway 150 Mosca, CO 81146

We loved staying at this lodge! Here we were able to book 2 queens + a roll-a-way for our family of 5, we had quick access to getting cleaned up after an afternoon out playing on the dunes, and it all came with this incredible back patio view! (see below)

From the back patio of our hotel room we spent the evening watching this spectacular sunset over the sand dunes! It was so beautiful and it looked just like a painting. It’s hard to believe that we had just been there climbing those same dunes only hours before!

And what was even cooler is that they put humming bird feeders by each room so we could watch the humming birds feed while watching the sunset over the dunes! This was amazing!

I had never before been able to watch this many humming birds, this close!

I love that this hotel provides such an incredible experience for its guests. So if you are looking for a place to stay near the Great Sand Dunes, then I definitely recommend checking the Great Sand Dunes Lodge out.