from WikiTravel

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a park within the United States National Park System located in the state of Colorado. In addition to the eponymous dunes, the park now includes attractive high country in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains.

 

 

Great Sand Dunes National Monument was one of the many United States national parks and monuments created during the Great Depression (1932). In its original form it covered only the dunes themselves. However, it has expanded significantly since its roots, due in large part to concern among residents of nearby communities about the need to protect the watershed containing the dunes. Recent actions in 2000 and 2004 led first to the creation of a "preserve" adjoining the monument, and then to the designation of the combined monument/preserve as a full-fledged national park.

 

 

The park includes North America's tallest dunes, which rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland contains over 30 square miles of massive dunes, and also includes alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000' in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands--all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species. The town of Alamosa is just under 35 miles southeast of the Visitor's Center, and provides visitors with many lodging, food and other activities options.

 

 

With ecosystems ranging from dunes, to forests, to alpine lakes and tundra, Great Sand Dunes is an incredibly diverse park for plants and animals.

 

The mountain and forest area of the preserve is home to several animals common throughout Colorado. Black bears can be found foraging in the shaded creeks and bighorn sheep roam the alpine tundra above the tree line. Mule deer are the most commonly seen animal in the park, but visitors can also occasionally encounter pronghorn (antelope) and elk in the surrounding grasslands.

 

Smaller mammals found in the park include snowshoe hare, yellow-bellied marmots, beavers, water shrews, badgers and Abert’s squirrels. A diverse bird population includes peregrine falcon, mountain bluebirds and northern pygmy owls. Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout and other trout species can be found in Medano Creek. Tiger salamanders and a variety of lizards and snakes also call the park home.

 

 

In the summer, daytime air temperatures rarely reach 90 °F, with average temperatures in the 70s-80s °F. Summer nights are surprisingly cool thanks to the elevation of 8200' above sea level, with lows sometimes dropping into the 40s. Afternoon thundershowers are common in July and August with associated winds and lightning. Be prepared to leave the dunes promptly if thunderstorms threaten: lightning strikes are common and may be fatal.

 

Fall is generally mild, with Indian summer days. Highs average in the 60s - 70s °F, with chilly nights in the 20s - 30s °F. Be prepared, though, for the occasional cold fall storm, bringing icy rain or even snow.

 

Cold temperatures are the norm in winter, even though sunshine is generally abundant. The lowest temperature recorded at Great Sand Dunes was -25 deg;F in 1963. Average highs are in the 20s-40s °F, with lows averaging -5 to 15 deg;F. Snow may fall and high winds may occasionally occur, so bring warm, layered clothing and sturdy footwear.

 

Spring can bring high winds; March, April, and May winds are unstable and can be unusually strong. Temperatures can vary widely: highs may reach into the 60s °F, or only into the 30s °F with an even colder windchill. Lows can also vary from 0 deg;F to the 30s °F. March and April are the snowiest months of the year, but some days in spring can also be swimsuit weather.

 

The average annual precipitation is 11 inches including an average snowfall of 37 inches. Overall, precipitation increases in all directions as you leave the heart of the San Luis Valley. Yearly there are only 30-40 days when clouds obstruct the sun the majority of the day. The valley is known as the "Land of Cool Sunshine", and lives up to that name throughout most of the year.

 

THINGS TO DO

 

Hike. The dunes themselves are a very short distance from the visitor center, and you can reach them by simply following the obvious path. Once you're in the dunes, there are no marked trails; you simply wander among them until you've had your fill. (Either keep the visitor center in sight, or bring a compass.) You'll get sand in your shoes; dress accordingly and have a change of clothes, or at least shoes, waiting at the car. Trails into the high country are reachable from farther up the road, beyond the dunes.

 

A guidebook with details on numerous hikes in the area, as well as other activities, food, and lodging, is The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, ISBN 097244131X.

 

You can also get an Official Visitors Guide from Alamosa full of additional activities and more information about the area all around the Great Sand Dunes, to help you set up a family base camp to be able to see more of the National Park and Preserve.

 

During spring and early summer, runoff from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains coalesces in a little creek that runs along the south side of the dunes, past the visitor center. Where Mosca Creek passes through the dunes, a remarkable beach-like atmosphere results that draws families doing precisely the things you'd expect at any other beach -- with the obvious exception of swimming, since the creek is only about six inches deep. You'll see picnics, small children wading in the creek (which is warmed by the sun), Frisbee tossing, maybe even a little beach volleyball. Come prepared to participate, and bring a change of clothing, particularly shoes; there is a changing room and rinse station near the visitor center to get the sand out of your clothes (and you) before you get back in the car. Flow in the creek is seasonal, and by the end of the summer there may not be enough water left for some of these activities.