We’ve visited the Great Sand Dunes over a couple of dozen times and each time provided unique experiences. Perhaps the most memorable ones included going there with my wife and kids in early June when Medano Creek pulsated with rather large waves coming from snow-melt from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. My daughter Michelle, who was about four or five years old, splashed around in the waves until a large wave knocked her off balance and she tumbled in the water. We ran to catch her to find that she was giggling all the time and having great fun at the Great Sand Dunes.
Sincerely,
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
How can something that is constantly shifting stand up to 750 feet tall? This southwestern park features the largest sand dunes in North America, and the key to their extraordinary height seems to lie in the combination of strong opposing winds and the presence of rivers and creeks, which capture drifting sands and redeposit them back on the dunes. Some of these remarkable hills are formations known as star dunes, molded by complex wind patterns into multi-pronged shapes, which look a bit like starfish from above.
State(s): Colorado
Established: 2004
“they always offer refreshingly unique experiences for children and adults alike.”
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Greetings from Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
I visited a national park for the first time in August of 2022. Growing up in urban New Jersey, it was quite a culture shock to suddenly be amidst the San Juan mountains of Colorado. I went to the Great Sand Dunes National Park as part of my orientation for…
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Greetings from Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
I visited when this used to be a National Monument and returned years later when it grew up to become a National Park. Forest, river, sand dune, mountains topped with snow capped peaks I see a natural layer cake.
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Greetings from Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
I moved to CO after my high school graduation to establish residency and then attend the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. I loved CO and never lacked for visits from friends and family who wanted to visit me (or more likely visit Colorado! : ). I used these visits…
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