Sand dune trekking thru Great Sand Dunes National Park

Update: As of the fall of 2004, GSD National Monument has achieved National Park status.

Great Sand Dunes (GSD) National Monument and Preserve is in a league of it's own in the outdoor adventure category. With dunes rising 700 feet from the valley floor, a journey into this stretch of sand is a journey to another world, a mini-desert with several 14,000 foot peaks watching over it.

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The dune grass dances with their shadows at Great Sand Dunes National Park.

A lone figure ascends the ridgeline of a large dune in the distance.

A magpie begged for my Cheetos, but all he got was this photo-op.

One step forward and two steps back is the the twisted math of walking up soft, sandy dunes.

One of the most unique places in the United States, GSD wallows in relative obscurity. Many people I've talked to have never heard of it, including a few that have called Colorado their home for years. When I found it on the national park's website, my first thought was that it's much different than any of the other Rocky Mountains attractions, and unlike anything in the southwest 4 corners region. The thing that sets it apart is the sand.

The wind has been blowing the sand across the flat valley floor for the past 10,000 years, eventually accumulating at the western base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains. To put 700 feet of sand dune in perspective, it's 4 times taller than Niagara, and more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty. The average dunes are only a few hundred feet tall, but from high dune or star dune (two of the tallest), you can see that they stretch for about 6 miles along the mountainside.

While there are many trails in GSD, including a few that top out on 14,000 footers, the big attractions here are the dunes themselves. You're free to hike them any way you'd like, they shift too often to establish any permanent trails. Be sure to wear hiking boots that cover at least your ankle, and try to avoid sandles, as the surface temperature can rise to a scorching 140 degrees in summer. I've seen all kinds of dune accessories that are popular with regular visitors, including snowboards, snowshoes, and hiking poles. Bring plenty of water, and sunblock, and if you visit in the winter months, a warm hat and jacket.

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