Everything you need to know about Colorado's Great Sand Dunes
So you just planned a week long getaway to the BEAUTIFUL State of Colorado! You’re going to go hiking, and maybe do some skiing and… wait a second, besides hiking and skiing what else is there to do in Colorado? How about explore some of the country’s biggest sand dunes?!
Yeah you heard that right, Colorado is home to some of North America’s biggest sand dunes. Some of them towering a staggering 700 ft in the air! Dude that’s like 7 stories high, or 35 adult giraffes on top of each other, or roughly 100 Shaquille O’Neal’s stacked end to end. Woah that’s a lot of sand!
This incredible National Park was founded in 1932 under the Hoover Administration. It sits at the base of Sangre de Cristo Mountains, tucked way back in a small gorge surrounded by snow covered peaks. Only 2 roads lead in and out of the canyon, but with so much to see who would want to leave? So sit back and enjoy while we teach you everything you need to know about Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes.
Park details
Every morning the Visitor Center opens at 8 AM, and closes around 4:30 PM. In the summer months this is sometimes extended to 5PM. It costs $25 per vehicle each day in the park. The vehicles can hold between 1 and 6 people. Although the Visitor Center is only open certain hours of the day, the park is accessible 24/7, 7 days a week, year round. If you enter the park before 8AM and after 5PM you will not be charged the $25 vehicle fee. If you have any other questions regarding fees click here. There is a vast amount of information regarding price breaks, including certain days where it is FREE to enter the park. Who doesn’t love free stuff?
Once you are onsite, there is a rest area/ museum where you can use the bathroom, or refill your water bottles if necessary. Please make sure you ALWAYS have water. You will put yourself at risk of dehydration if you do not drink plenty of water, even if the temperature is cooler. The museum section is free, and extremely cool. It explains the process of how the sand dunes were formed. This building also acts as a great spot to each lunch for the day with a small deck off the back that overlooks the dunes.
Camping
Another service that is accessible in this National Park is the ability to camp. The Piñon Flats campground is located about 1 mile north of the visitor center and is open April 1st through October 30th. They have individual tent sites, as well as group tent sites, and RV sites. One thing to note about these sites is that there are NO HOOKUPS. Pets are welcome in both the park and campground, but please be aware, and respectful of the wildlife that inhabit this park. Black bears have been known to stroll through the area. For all other camping related questions just click here.
Wildlife
As previously mentioned black bears are one of the many potential visitors you could run into while visiting this beautiful park. In our time there, we saw dozens of mule deer. There is also a very good chance that you may see things like rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, and even bobcats. It is very important that you only look at these animals, and do not attempt to interact or feed them. The majority of them have become very cultivated to human interaction and will not seem fearful, however it is not safe, and should be avoided at all costs.
Sand Boarding
So now let’s talk about the real reason you have read this far… it’s because you want to try sand boarding isn’t it?! Well you should because it is incredibly fun, and there are not a lot of places in the U.S. that you can do it!! This is exactly what it sounds like! It’s pretty much snowboarding with wax and sand. It might take you all day to get to the top of the dunes, but it is so worth it to sand board back down.
There are two spots that you can rent sand boards. One of them is Kristi Mountain Sports located in Alamosa, and the other is Spin Drift which is located Blanca. Kristi Mountain Sports is about a 40 min drive from the dunes, and Spin Drift is about 25 min. Do not fret though each one is on the only road that leads into the park, just coming from opposite directions. The cost of the rentals are around $20 per day depending on the season. This usually includes the wax as well. Now get out there and ride some dunes brah!
PRO TIP: If you are hiking the dunes, it is best to only wear your socks! If you wear shoes then sand can get inside and create blisters.