Great Sand Dunes National Park

We've seen sand dunes in Death Valley so I wasn't entirely sure about this National Park. It's in a somewhat remote area Colorado Rockies southwest of Pueblo. The long drive to the park did take us through some beautiful country over North La Veta Pass down to Fort Garland near the entrance to the park.

It's a remote area but it is still a fairly popular place. These are the tallest sand dunes in North American and sit between tundra and the Sangra de Cristo Range. The land in front of the dunes has stabilized with grasses and the dunes are at their greatest height.

 

Medano Creek flows between the Visitor Center and the dunes and especially in the spring, the flow can be fairly heavy. The sand bottom forms into temporary dams that then collapse and create wave-like water surges. A this time of year the stream is wide but not deep and many crossed it to climb the dunes.
 

The park has become a sort of playground. Sandboarding is popular year-round and, in the springtime, wading in the rapid surges is even more popular.

Sangra de Cristo Range Going from Fall to Winter