Have you been thinking about visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park? We definitely recommend that you do! So we put together a quick guide to help you decide how you want to plan your trip.
About the Park
The purpose of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is to preserve spectacular and unique sand dunes and their high elevation watersheds and to perpetuate the entire system for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations; to provide long-term protection of the geological, hydrological, ecological, scenic, scientific, cultural, wilderness, educational, wildlife, and recreational resources of the area, including the sand deposits associated with the dune mass and the ground water system on which the sand dune and wetland systems depend, and the remarkable biodiversity evident in the landscape from the valley floor to the mountain crest; to provide opportunities for visitors to experience, understand, enjoy, and gain a sense of stewardship for the park’s natural and cultural resources; and to facilitate research to support park management, and to promote scientific knowledge and education.
(As stated in the foundation document for the park in the NPS Website)
Park Overview
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of four National Parks in Colorado. Located on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado, this park covers 232.90 sq. miles and includes the tallest sand dunes in North America (up to 750 ft tall) and portions of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The four primary components of this park’s system are the mountain watershed, the dune field, the sand sheet, and the sabkha.
A sand sheet is a flat deposit of sand, usually lacking large, individual dune structures. Sabkha refers to any form of flat salt-encrusted desert that is usually lacks any significant plant cover due to the high concentration of salts and sediments where the level of groundwater is very low.
Things to See & Do
Access to the park is year-round. In the spring and summer, visitors must walk across the wide and shallow Medano Creek to reach the dunes. Hiking is permitted throughout the dunes, but it is important to note that the sand surface temperature may reach 150 degrees (F) in the summer. Sandboarding is another popular activity in the dunes- you can even rent a sandboard just outside the park entrance! Visitors with 4WD vehicles may continue past the park’s main road to Medano Pass, which is 22 miles of unpaved road that crosses stream beds and 4 miles of deep sand.
The wildlife that calls the park home include pika, yellow-bellied marmot, bighorn sheep, black bears, snowshoe hare, squirrels, foxes, cougars, coyotes, mule deer, water shrew, beavers, porcupines, kangaroo rats, badgers, pronghorns, elk, bison, lizards, snakes, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Rio Grande sucker, frogs, toads, salamanders, and over 250 species of birds. If plants are more your thing, you can find aspen, Douglas fir, pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, alpine phlox, dwarf clover, paintbrush flowers, Rocky Mountain iris, prickly pear cactus, and narrowleaf yucca, just to name a few.
Land Acknowledgement
Humans have occupied this land since about 11,000 years ago. As noted in the official Great Sand Dunes NPS Website, “Great Sand Dunes’ affiliated tribes share their traditional knowledge and culture through consultation with park staff and public programs. For them, this special place is not just a vacation destination, but home.” The tribes affiliated with this national park are: Comanche Nation, Hopi, Jicarilla Apache, Kiowa Tribe, Navajo (Dine’), Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo de Cochiti, Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Picuris, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of Sandia, Pueblo of San Felipe, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Santa Ana, Santa Clara Pueblo, Santo Domingo Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, Pueblo of Tesuque, Pueblo of Zia, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Southern Ute, Ute Tribe of the Uinta and Ouray Reservation, Ute Mountain Ute, Yselta del Sur Pueblo, and Zuni.
Great Sand Dunes was first established as a National Monument in March 1932 by President Herbert Hoover then established as the 48th U.S. National Park in September 2004 by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton.
Quick Facts
- Private Vehicle Fee: $25.00
- Motorcycle Fee: $20.00
- Per Person (no auto) Fee: $15.00
- Park Hours: 24/7
- Visitor Center: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, year-round except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
- Pets: if leashed, allowed in Preserve and main use areas of park (including campground, trails, and along the Medano Road)
- Campgrounds: 1 (Pinon Flats: April – October); Medano Pass Primitive Road (high clearance 4WD) is open for camping late spring through fall
- This park does NOT accept cash!
- This park is very pet friendly, but make sure that you check the NPS website for detailed information on the boundaries where pets are permitted.
Seasonal considerations
What time of year you decide to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park will have an impact on your experience. This park is accessible year-round, and the time of year you decide to visit will bring different considerations with your planning.
| Avg High Temp (F) | Avg Low Temp (F) | Avg Precipitation (rain & snow, in.) | Avg Visitation (2022-2024) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APRIL | 56 | 28 | 6.48 | 26,427 |
| MAY | 66 | 37 | 2.40 | 70,170 |
| Avg High Temp (F) | Avg Low Temp (F) | Avg Precipitation (rain & snow, in.) | Avg Visitation (2022-2024) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUNE | 77 | 46 | 0.83 | 91,407 |
| JULY | 81 | 51 | 1.94 | 88,935 |
| AUGUST | 78 | 49 | 1.92 | 64,320 |
| Avg High Temp (F) | Avg Low Temp (F) | Avg Precipitation (rain & snow, in.) | Avg Visitation (2022-2024) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEPTEMBER | 72 | 42 | 1.32 | 50,318 |
| OCTOBER | 60 | 32 | 3.43 | 38,949 |
| Avg High Temp (F) | Avg Low Temp (F) | Avg Precipitation (rain & snow, in.) | Avg Visitation (2022-2024) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVEMBER | 46 | 20 | 4.86 | 11,776 |
| DECEMBER | 36 | 12 | 5.94 | 7,734 |
| JANUARY | 34 | 10 | 6.84 | 5,588 |
| FEBRUARY | 39 | 14 | 5.59 | 7,742 |
| MARCH | 47 | 22 | 8.45 | 18,330 |
top things to do
1. Hike the High Dune
You can hike to the tallest dune in this national park if you’re up for the challenge! The hike itself is 3.0 miles and 597′ elevation gain. While it doesn’t seem like much, hiking up steep sand can be a kick in the butt. It is also unmarked, so be sure to download your map ahead of time!
2. Sandboarding
If you have the right equipment, you can board or sled down the dunes! The NPS doesn’t rent out the equipment, but you can visit one of five different shops to rent – ranging from right outside the park to 36 miles away in Alamosa. The link below has more information!
3. Explore Medano Creek
After taking a 20 minute shuttle ride from McCarthy to Kennecott, you will find yourself in the old mining town. There are a lot of exhibits, including the General Store and Post Office, that you are free to explore and learn more about the history of this area at your leisure. To get an extensive tour of the mill itself, you will need to book a tour through St. Elias Alpine Guides.
4. Drive Medano Pass
“This is a rough 22 mile road connecting Great Sand Dunes with the Wet Mountain Valley and Colorado State Highway 69. Passable only in the warmer months and only with high-
clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles, it gives access to Medano Pass (elevation 10,040’) and Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. This road crosses areas of deep sand, traverses Medano Creek nine times, and passes through excellent habitat for bighorn sheep. Average driving time for the entire primitive road is about 2.5 – 3 hours.”
5. Stargazing
Did you know that Great Sand Dunes is a certified Dark Sky Park? It is a fantastic place to hang around after sunset and see things in a whole new light. August and September are the best months for clear skies and visibility of the Milky Way!
6. Hike Zapata Falls
This hike is just outside of the park and is worth the quick stop! At only 0.8 miles and 193′ elevation gain, it is a moderate but quick hike to add on to your itinerary!
NOTE: This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the things to do in this park! These are just the things that caught our attention and came up often when researching our trip.
Our Adventures
We have now visited Great Sand Dunes National Park three times! Our first trip was in January 2022, our second was in May 2023, and our most recent was just last weekend in January 2026! We love visiting this park when we can because the drive is beautiful, the park is fun to explore, and, most importantly, it is very dog friendly!
Being able to bring our dogs with us to this national park is always so special. We plan our visits for the winter and spring to enjoy milder weather and lower crowds. This gives us plenty of space to spread out around the dunes and seemingly have a whole pocket of the park to ourselves. Dogs are required to be on a leash no longer than 6-feet, but we still have a blast running around with them!
From our three visits, we have been able to hike High Dune, explore the majority of the dune field, and splash around Medano Creek. We hope that our next adventure will allow us to camp under the stars!
If you want to read more about our most recent visit with our pups, stay tuned for our Great Sand Dunes post!
Our Tips for visiting
When you’re planning your trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park, make sure you really take into consideration what your priorities are for your itinerary. This is an easily accessible park, especially from Colorado Springs, which is a wonderful jumping off point just a few hours away. If camping isn’t part of the plan, you can easily explore the dune field in just one day! If you want to hike the dunes, drive the primitive road, and camp, consider making it a two or three day trip.
Planning on bringing the pups? Make sure you bring along plenty of water for them and, depending on the weather, consider bringing booties and goggles to protect them from the sand!
We also highly recommend making a stop in Buena Vista if your travels take you that way. About a 2 hour drive north of this park, this cute town sits at the base of the Collegiate Peaks and is a premier destination for adventure in the Arkansas River Valley. You can go rafting, hike 14ers, visit Mount Princeton Hot Springs, take a scenic walk along the Arkansas River, or snag a beer at Eddyline Brewery!
Come Prepared!
Regardless of what you decide to do, it is so important that you come fully prepared with proper gear and necessities. During peak season, parking can be difficult to come by if you are not arriving early enough. The summertime brings about the possibility of extremely hot temperatures, so it is best to plan your adventures for early mornings or late afternoons/evenings. No matter what time of year you visit, bring plenty of water and food along with you!
Finally, always follow the Leave No Trace principles to ensure that you recreate responsibly and help to protect these beautiful spaces we love to visit!
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