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Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

, Colorado

NPCA REGION: Southwest Regional Office

Acreage: 41,686

Category: National Park & Preserve

Date Established: 09/24/2004

More Info: http://www.nps.gov/grsa

A beautiful and astonishing diversity meets visitors at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. From alpine lakes and tundra to forest, the tallest sand dunes in North America to wetlands and grasslands, Great Sand Dunes protects an amazing variety of life!

NPCA Recommends

Hiking up the “High Dune” and looking back over the park and the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Keep an eye out for abundant wildlife- elk, bison, white–faced ibis, American avocets, pelicans, snowy plovers and great blue herons frequent the wetlands.

Did You Know

Medano Creek, flowing at the base of Great Sand Dunes, is one of the few and best places in the world to experience "surge flow", where creek water comes in rhythmic waves. In late spring and early summer, snowmelt provides visitors with a beach environment! You can splash in the creek, climb the dunes, wildlife watch and hike in the mountains all in one place.

—Ann Froschauer

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Comments

this is the best web site ever

Submitted by killer at: January 13, 2010

Have been to the park 2 times now. I am in love with the place and even want to buy land near it. The sunsets are gorgeous and the hikes are bearable and thoroughly rewarding. The climb up the dune is harder than you think and just as hard the second time around. Just some things to advise people about that I learned the hard way. No cameras around sand and don't being anything to the dunes you don't care if you loose. Also if you want to do the mountains and lakes on top be prepared to get up real early. They are furthur than you would think.

Submitted by Da Babz at: December 8, 2009

We love this park. The campground is intimate yet fairly private and quiet. Many of the campsites have a view of the dunes. The dunes are the main attraction with good reason, but there is so much else to see there. If you have a 4X4, take the road over Medano Pass. Outside the park is Zapata Falls. You have to wade through icy water to see the best part of those falls, soooo worth it!

Submitted by Anonymous at: October 8, 2009