Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, National park and preserve in Alamosa County, Colorado, US.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a national park and protected area in southern Colorado, where tall dunes stretch along the Sangre de Cristo Range. The dunes form a field of around 78 square kilometers, surrounded by grassland, wetlands, and coniferous forests at higher elevations.
Over hundreds of thousands of years, wind and water carried sand from the Rio Grande valley into this corner of the San Luis Valley. The region was recognized as a national monument in the early 20th century and later expanded into a national park.
The name describes the landscape directly: vast sandy expanses that rise against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Visitors can walk barefoot across the dunes or slide down the steep slopes on special boards, an activity especially popular with younger guests.
The best time to visit is between late spring and early summer, when Medano Creek carries water and temperatures are comfortable. Sturdy footwear helps when climbing the higher dunes, though many guests walk barefoot once they take advantage of the cooler morning hours.
After nightfall, an exceptionally clear starry sky appears here, as the remote location and dry air allow little light pollution. The combination of desert sand and snow-covered peaks in close proximity creates a scene rarely found in North America.
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