Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado is one of Colorado’s big four national parks. This south-central Colorado park resembles the Sahara and has a stunning backdrop of the rugged Sangre de Cristo mountains. Hike, sled and play in the dunes, dip your toes in Medano Creek if it’s running when you visit, or just simply snap some pics of this sandbox of epic proportions near Alamosa.

The entire dune field encompasses 30 square miles. I visited in March and the weather was PERFECT, the crowds were minimal and I basically had the Dunes to myself because I accidentally picked the windiest day of the year to visit. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic… but it was so windy I felt like I wouldn’t have to exfoliate my face for another month after my visit. All jokes aside, it was magical and you need to go. I put together a full guide below with everything you could possibly need to know before heading to this unique Colorado national park.

How to get to Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado?

Denver International Airport is the largest airport near the dunes. Several regional airports are scattered across the south-central area of Colorado including, Aspen/Pitkin County, Colorado Springs, Durango/La Plata County, Eagle County Regional & Telluride Regional Airport as well as a couple others.

Newbie fliers can check out my blogpost about navigating the airport like a seasoned jet setter here for more info on flying into your destination.

I always recommend flying into Denver when your traveling to Colorado because typically this is where you’ll find the best deals on flights. For my trip to the Great Sand Dunes I had actually road-tripped all the way out to Colorado from Ohio. I wanted to have my own vehicle for this particular trip (we visited several parks, not just Great Sand Dunes). My husband, who has less vacation time than I do, flew into Denver International airport. I visited the dunes myself the day he flew into town to pass time before grabbing him at the airport. Its about 4-5 hours to the dunes from Denver airport. Don’t worry its a scenic drive, like most commutes in Colorado the time flew by while en route.

tip: the park is open 24 hours a day, year-round (visitor center hours vary by season)

Stay & Play options at Great Sand Dunes?

If you plan on staying in the San Luis Valley area when you visit you’ll want to find a place around Alamosa, Antonito, Crestone, Fort Garland, Monte Vista, Mosca or Saquache. These towns offer hotel/motel lodging options, cabins, VRBO’s and Airbnb’s.

Theres only one campground in Great Sand Dunes National Park, Pinon Flats Campground. It has several sites that can accomodate RV’s up to 35 foot in length. Reservations are recommended to guarantee a campsite May-September. Pinon Flats Campground is also open in April and October but it is first-come, first-served in those months. Be prepared to dry camp, Pinon Flats has no hookups but a dump station is available in the summer months. You can make reservations at recreation.gov.

I recommend checking out the Bureau of Land Management sites in the area as well for car & primitive camping options. Colorado is known for having pretty good remote locations to set up camp for the night at little or no cost. Especially if you’re just passing through and only plan to spend a day or so at this park.

Good to know information before your visit:

• Lightning strikes can be fatal. If you see a thunderstorm coming, get off the dunes.
• This place is often WINDY – I mean, like reallyyyy windy. Sand in the eyes isn’t exactly comfortable to say the least. I hight recommend sunglasses or some sort of eye covering. It was so windy the day I visited the park that my Patagonia jacket was actually filled with sand, even in the pockets and interior of my jacket. I actually DUMPED sand out of my shoes when I got back to my car. If you want to see full video footage of this check out my instagram highlight labeled (Roadtrip UT + CO) LOL…
• Summer sand surfaces can reach 140 degrees. Ouchyyyy. Bring lots of water, appropriate clothing and wear closed toe shoes to prevent burning your feet in the sand. I visited in March and I didn’t have this problem but it makes sense to be prepared in the hotter summer months.
• Elevations in this area range from 7,500 to nearly 14,000 feet. Remember to listen to your body, avoid altitude sickness and be prepared for the elevation in this area.
• Don’t feed the wildlife – I mean, this is obvious to me but just throwing it out there.
• Address: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. 11999 Highway 150 Mosca, CO 81146-9798.

Top 5 things to do at Great Sand Dunes National Park

I’ve summarized my top 5 things to do when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado.

1. Experience the Dunes – hike for as long as you want since there are no trails. Explore the scenery and snap some pics. You’ll want to remember how this place looks and feels, its truly unique. Star dune is North America’s tallest dune at 750 ft.
2. Get Wet in Medano Creek – The creek is typcially filled with water in the early summer months. You can cool off, splash around and build sand castles near the dune fields. This would be especially fun for families with kiddos.
3. Go for a rugged hike – Explore Medano Pass Primitive Road, if you have a four-wheel drive vehicle. You’ll encounter soft sand, rocky terrain and creek crossings. Stop and stroll to Medano Lake which is a one-way hike from the trailhead along Medano Pass. This hike is just 3.2 miles one way.
4. Fly a kite – Windy weather at the dunes make kite flying a breeze, pun intended!
5. See the stars – visit the park at night to get wild vies of the star-filled Colorado skies. Take glow sticks with you and leave them on the dune field by the trail near your car. That way, you won’t get turned around trying to get back to your vehicle in the dark.

tip: Wear closed-toe shoes because the dunes can heat up to a whopping 150 degrees on a hot day.

Popular nearby attractions. Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The Great Sand Dunes National park in south-central Colorado has several nearby attractions. If you have extra time in this area here are a few extra activities you could try to incorporate into your itinerary.

Nearby Attractions:

1. Zapata Falls is a 1 mile round-trip hike to a cool oasis. This hike is located just 3 miles south of the park entrance. Wade through cool water and walk on log bridges to get close to the 25 foot waterfall.
2. San Luis Lakes State Park & Wildlife Area – Mosca, Colorado
3. Old Spanish Trail – Del Norte, Colorado
4. UFO Watchtower – Hooper, Colorado
5. Zapata Ranch Bison Tours – Mosca, Colorado
6. Colorado Gators Reptile Park

tip: when photographing the dunes, shadows can be your friend. They help show depth and shape, this place is vast. no photos do it justice, but the shadows help!

For up to date park hours, road closures and weather conditions for Great Sand Dunes National park you can visit NPS.GOV/GRSA.

Guide Summary: Great Sand Dunes National Park

With this guide I’ve broken down everything you need to know to plan your next visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. You now know how to get there, where to stay, things to do, extra attractions nearby and more. What are you waiting for? Book that trip!!!

If you have any questions or want to chat about anything I didn’t cover in the guide please feel free to reach out via my contact form.

Dont forget to keep nature wild, stay the trail and be kind to anyone you encounter while you’re out adventuring. Follow along via instagram @Adventure.With.Jen, share this article to Facebook & Instagram and try and get your friends and family to plan a trip with you and pin this blog post for later to refer back to. I update routinely if I make another trip or if I see anything changes with the park.

HAPPY ADVENTURING!