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Old sign on the southern boundary of the Dunes
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Description - Set against a backdrop of 14,000 foot peaks, the tallest sand dunes in North America rise nearly 750 feet above the San Luis Valley.In a corner of the remote San Luis Valley in the Colorado Rockies rise the Great Sand Dunes. These dunes are the tallest in North America, rising 750 feet from the valley floor. They cover approximately 39 square miles of the San Luis Valley.The dunes are home to some unique and spectacular species of flora and fauna. In late summer you can see the bright yellow prairie sunflower in its peak of color. The giant sand treader camel cricket and two species of beetle are unique residents of the dunes. Besides a large variety of birds, there are quite a few species of mammals that visit or reside within the dunes. Few reptiles are found here due to the high altitude. A rattlesnake sighting would be extremely rare; rumor has it here have been two rattlesnake sightings since the Monument opened in 1932.
Attractions
- In a corner of the remote San Luis Valley in the Colorado Rockies rise the
Great Sand Dunes. These dunes are the tallest in North America, rising 750
feet from the valley floor. They cover approximately 39 square miles of the
San Luis Valley. The dunes are home to some unique and spectacular
species of flora and fauna. In late summer you can see the bright yellow
prairie sunflower in its peak of color. The giant sand treader camel cricket
and two species of beetle are unique residents of the dunes. Besides a large
variety of birds, there are quite a few species of mammals that visit or reside
within the dunes. Few reptiles are found here due to the high altitude. A
rattlesnake sighting would be extremely rare; rumor has it here have been
two rattlesnake sightings since the Monument opened in 1932. Medano
Creek is called the "vanishing creek" as its waters disappear into the sand
along the eastern edge of the dunes. The length and time Medano Creek
flows to the picnic area greatly depends on the amount of winter snow melt.
In heavy snow years, or summers in which there is a lot of rainfall, the creek
may flow through July. Usually the creek starts to flow in late March or April,
but for maximum visitor enjoyment, May and June are generally the months
with the highest creek flow.
Recreation - The Great Sand Dunes are a place to take a hike, to discover animals and plants, to seek silence and solitude, to take photographs, to ride a horse, to wilderness camp and, if you like, to run, jump, roll and slide. Your exploration can begin at the foot of the dunes and go as high as almost 750 feet to the top of the highest dune. A four-wheel drive road leads past the eastern portion of the monument, and into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Interpretive walks, talks and evening programs on topics like dune geology, area history and plant and animal life are offered Memorial Day through Labor Day. A ranger may be available to do a program for your group, but please call at least three weeks in advance to make arrangements. Two Group Picnic areas area are also available. South Ramada requires reservations. The Great Sand Dunes is open all year, 24 hours a day. Visitor Center hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the summer months, with varying hours in the winter months. Climate - Walking in the dunes is strenuous and you should pace yourself, resting as
needed. You may want to consider beginning your exploration in the cooler
hours of morning or evening, especially in the summer. Be sure to take shoes
with you - the surface temperature of the dunes can reach 140 degrees -
more than hot enough to burn your feet. The extreme heat of the dunes
can also blister paws, and cause heat exhaustion or stroke, which can be fatal
for animals as well as people. Pets left in vehicles without adequate
ventilation can succumb to suffocation all too quickly. On an 85 degree day,
the temperature inside a car, even with the windows slightly open, will reach
102 degrees in 10 minutes and 130 degrees in 30 minutes. Watch the
skies; thunderstorms are dramatic, but please, safely observe them away
from the dunes. Lightning commonly strikes the dunes and if you are on
them, you may be the high point and be in danger of drawing lightning to
yourself. Thunderstorms are common in July and August. Quickly vacate the
dunes if the skies become threatening; you do not want lightening to strike
you! When lightening hits the sand, it fuses or melts particles of sand
together, resulting in a "fulgurite;" don't become a human fulgurite. If you
are fortunate enough to come across a fulgurite, please leave it there for
other people to view. Temperatures in the summer average 70-80
degrees in during the day, while nighttime lows drop to the 40s. Summer
days are seldom uncomfortable hot, and nights are generally cool.
Thundershowers can be expected during 70 percent of July and August.
South and southwest winds occur during March, April, May and June,
averaging 45 miles per hour. Occasionally, east winds will gust up to 60
miles per hour. In the fall, winter and spring, expect moderate daytime
temperatures and freezing to subzero nights in this "Land of Cool Sunshine."
Average temperatures are below freezing in December, January and February.
Frost penetration has been measured at four feet beneath the sand. An
average of 36 inches of snow falls annually; the snow is very dry, averaging
only 10 percent moisture content. Location -
The Great Sand Dunes National Park is located 38 miles northeast of Alamosa,
Colorado. Highway 150 leads to the entrance and visitor center of the
monument. The monument lies at the southeastern end of the San Luis
Valley, nestled against the western slope of Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The
peaks immediately to the east of the dunes are (from north to south)
Cleveland Peak, 13,414; Mount Herard, 12,200; Mount Zwischen, 12,006 and
Carbonate Mountain, 12,308.
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