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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The View At The Top Of A Dune Ridge, Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

A footprint-covered dune ridge looking south toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Luis Valley at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Whatever season you visit this national park, a must-do activity is to hike up to the top of a dune. The sand is velvety soft, but still takes a little effort to climb. An easy way to hike up to the top of a dune is to switchback your way up. Once you are at the top, following the dune ridge is the easiest way to continue onward, and from the ridge top, you have a broad view around the park.

Rebecca Latson
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A View Of Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve From San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area

The view from San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area toward a broad, flat valley below a distant dunefield and mountains beneath a blue sky, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

If you are interested in the geology of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, a great place to view the overall geologic system of the park is from San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area just off of Lane 6 N, almost halfway between the community of Mosca and the turnoff onto Colorado State Highway 150 toward the park. From this vantage point, you can see all four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes geological system: mountain watershed, dunefield, sand sheet, and sabkha.

Rebecca Latson
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The View From A Tall Sand Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

A view from a tall sand dune looking out toward the east, across the snow-covered expanse of flat land where frozen Medano Creek usually flows, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Hike to the top of any sand dune within this national park and you've got a great view of the land below and beyond. In this image, you see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, with the flat, snow-covered flat expanse of land below where Medano Creek will flow during spring and summer. Look closely enough and you might even be able to see the trail in the snow created by hikers leaving the parking area and heading toward the dunefield.

Rebecca Latson
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A Magnet On A Sand Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Three images showing a magnet in a black patch of sand on a sand dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

How many of you have hiked the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and noticed black patches or black ripples in the otherwise beige palette of the soft sand? What you are seeing are black magnetite grains in the sand. Magnetite is magnetic, and if you place a magnet on the sand, you'll pick up clumps of black magnetite grains. For real, and not an April Fool's joke! Cool, right?

Rebecca Latson
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Photography In The National Parks: Great Sand Dunes In Winter

Picture-perfect Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado is filled with contradictions and superlatives: North America’s tallest sand dunes surrounded on three sides by the broad, windswept San Luis Valley, with a backside snuggled against the rugged, snowcapped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Winter is a great time to visit with your camera.

Planning And Preparing For A National Park Trip

Nowadays, a visit to a unit of the National Park System requires at least a minimal amount of planning and preparation. Whether you fly, drive, cruise, or ride the rails, planning your park travel ensures a much more enjoyable stay. Contributing photographer and writer Rebecca Latson shares her own planning and preparation routine for a safe and enjoyable park visit.

Three Winter Days At Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

There’s something to be said for spending a few winter days at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. Crowds are non-existent and there’s plenty of solitude. Despite the season, there’s plenty to do and see for three days’-worth of activities and contributing photographer Rebecca Latson writes about her own February trip to this park.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.