Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve - Colorado

Address:11500 Hwy. 150
Mosca, Colorado
Tel: (719) 378-6300

Spectacular and surreal. Those two words pretty much sum up an experience at Great Sand Dunes, a brand-new National Park. Created in 2004, Great Sand Dunes boasts massive golden sand dunes rising more than 750 feet in the air, which make them the tallest in North America. Checking out at least one of the numerous dune trails should be required of all visitors. This fascinating park is more than just sand dunes however. At Medano Creek, a rare phenomenon occurs: spurts of flowing water from the creek create a small stream, ideal for summertime splashing. The perfect sandcastle construction conditions are created!
A hike in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains or through the 30-foot Zapata Falls is absolutely idyllic, especially in the summer or late-spring. You'll be refreshed immediately by the cool, rushing waters. If that's not enough to get you excited, the park just added hayride bison tours!

Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland, containing over 30 square miles of massive dunes, became a national monument in 1932. With the passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act, resources now also include alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000' in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands--all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species.