Great Sand Dunes National Park Tips

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is awesome! It’s one of the four national parks in Colorado but is unlike any of the others. When you think of Colorado, sand is probably not one of your first thoughts! This place has the highest sand dunes in North America and is quite a unique adventure!

Location

Located a few hours south of Denver, it’s just a mini road trip away! Make sure you watch the gas tank. There are few gas stations on the less populated roads in the middle of Colorado.

Best time to go

It’s open year-round. We went in June and the weather was perfect. However, I’ve seen pictures of snow-covered dunes in winter and that looks like a unique experience in itself.

Time of day is important as well! Early morning or evening are best to avoid hot sand.

Cost

The park charges $25 per vehicle for a 7-day pass.

Things to bring

Sunscreen- it’s like the beach, don’t go to the beach without sunscreen!

Sunglasses- Sometimes the wind will kick up and sand will fly in your eyes if they’re not covered…not fun! Plus there’s no shade out there on the dunes.

Bug spray- mosquitoes are CRAZY here in the morning, and probably at night but we were only there in the morning.

Water- hiking on those dunes are no joke! It’s a workout and you will need water!

Snacks- There are no food options in the park, so bring snacks and maybe even a picnic.

Sand sled or sand board- Rent a sled or board at the Oasis store. You will pass by it before you get to the entrance to the park. I heard other people tried to bring their own, but they don’t work as good since theirs are usually made for snow and not sand. The store provides wax to take with you to make the sled slide better during use.

Hiking shoes or tennis shoes. We took them off when crossing the small creek and walking around the sand. They will protect your feet if the sand gets too hot. Sandals are not recommended! During the hot summer months midday, the sand can reach temps of 150 degrees!

Baby powder- when you leave rub it on and it helps get sand off your body.

What to do

Sand Sled or sand board!!! MUST DO! Such a unique experience! We all loved it! I only sled a few times since it’s such a workout to get back to the top of the hill and now I wish I would have done more.

Hike the dunes!!! The high dune on the first ridge will take two hours round trip to hike to the top. There are no trail markers, start anywhere and climb up. This is not like a regular hike, it’s exhausting! The sand makes it more challenging and these dunes are massive!! For every step you take, you sink back down a little, so it’s triple the effort. If you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views.

Play in the creek- Medano Creek is only around in the spring and beginning of summer due to the snow melt. You will have to cross it on your way to the dunes. The water is freezing…it is snow melt. On the way out, it’s not so bad since you’ve been in the sun and working out all morning.

Visitor Center- the rangers are a great source of information, has educational exhibits on how the sand dunes were created, a small gift shop, and bathrooms. Bonus, you can get your National Park passport stamped!

Lodging

Camping is offered in the national park. There is one campground, Pinon Flats and it has 88 camp sites. $20 per night and reservations are highly recommended.

There are a few motel type places in the immediate area-

Great Sand Dunes Lodge

Oasis Duplex Motel

Oasis Camping Cabins

Zapata Ranch

More popular hotel options are available in Alamosa 30 minutes away.

We made a day trip out of this, so I can’t recommend any of the lodging options.

Other Tips

• Get there early. We arrived around 8:oo in the morning and the sand felt perfect on our feet. A couple hours later and it was warming up rapidly…still tolerable, but a drastic difference in the temp. People have gotten severe burns on the hot sand (can reach 150 degrees!!), so I wouldn’t come during the middle of the day in the summer. Not sure what it’s like in the winter at that time. Always check the sand before letting little ones run around in it.

• If you sand sled or board, some dunes are steeper than others. Know your limits. There apparently have been many bones broken on excursions here. That would not be a fun way to end your visit here.

• Zapata Falls is a popular hike a few miles outside the national park. I heard it’s amazing and am bummed I didn’t have enough time to hike it myself.

Overall, The Great Sand Dune National Park is a great place to spend a few hours to a of couple days. Driving up, it doesn’t look like much, but don’t let that fool you! It’s an experience like no other to be playing on a giant mound of sand surrounded by mountains. And one of only a few opportunities to go sand sledding or sand boarding on giant sand dunes!