GREAT SAND DUNES PARK

TEXT CACHED
Park Ranger Patrick Myers has worked at the Great Sand Dunes for 12 years, and graciously answered some questions.
Pictures, Articles, Forum And Information About The Great Sand Dunes In Colorado
san luis valley attractions, great sand dunes pictures, colorado, sand dunes national park, great sand dunes information, sangre de cristo mountains, great sand dunes national park, pictures of sand, colorado pictures, great sand dunes photos, southern colorado, sand dunes, colorado attractions, great sand dunes, colorado national parks, colorado photos, san luis valley
Great Sand Dunes National Park - For Those Who Love The Great Sand Dunes In Southern Colorado
Enjoy this assorted collection inside the park, including a spring, a bison grazing and two shots of Medano Creek running.
Scott Baker in Colorado Springs recently visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park and submitted six photos.
Medano Creek was barely running in the park on May 6, and it took some time and effort to reach it up in the creek bed.
The San Luis Valley is a large and isolated high plateau in southern Colorado that most are forced to experience on their way to the park.
For most, the Great Sand Dunes are fairly remote, but this site strives to be the place to get your "daily fix" of this beautiful national park.

TEXT CACHED
of Contents   Map of Great Sand Dunes National Park Preserve Foreword:  From Pronghorns to Pikas Sandy, the Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle Introduction Using this Guide Book Organization Safety Considerations Backcountry Ethics Friends of the Dunes The Place Location How to Get There Climate and Weather Natural History Eolian Geology – It’s All About the Wind Minerals Water Plants Animals Cultural History First People Native Americans Spanish Conquistadors Zebulon Pike’s Expedition Permanent Settlers Preserving a Natural Wonder Origin of Place Names Facilities Park Facilities Visitor Center Services Within the Park Emergencies Local Facilities Services Outside the Park Campgrounds Lodging Restaurants and Groceries Activities Things To Do Backcountry and Wilderness Camping Birdwatching Driving 4WD Roads Dune Skiing, Boarding, Sledding, Rolling Horseback Riding and Pack Animals Hunting and Fishing Mountain Biking Park Organized Activities Photography Watching Wildlife Hiking Hikes in the Park: From Visitor Center From Dunes Parking Lot From Piñon Flats Campground From Point of No Return From Sand Creek Trailhead From Montville Trailhead Eastern Access Hikes: From Mosca Pass From Medano Pass From Music Pass Trailhead From Music Pass Road Western Access Hikes (Crestone area) Hikes in Zapata Falls Recreation Area Climbing Climbs in the Park and Preserve Climbs South of the Park and Preserve Climbs North of the Park and Preserve Attractions Valley Attractions Near the Park San Luis Lakes State Park Medano-Zapata Ranch Attractions in Alamosa Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge Colorado Alligator Farm Attractions Near Fort Garland / Blanca Attractions Near Crestone / Moffat Hot Springs Valley Events Ongoing Events Calendar of Events Resource Guide Information Charts Mileage Guide to Medano Pass Primitive Road Hikes by Destination Hikes by Difficulty Hikes by Distance Hikes by Duration Additional Reading Organizations Equipment List GPS Use Suggested Trail Snacks Index Meet the Authors Thanks for visiting GreatSandDunes.
The ESSENTIAL Guide to GREAT SAND DUNES - Table of Contents
The Essential Guide to GREAT SAND DUNES National Park & Preserve
National Park Sample Pages Video / Music Table of Contents Bookstores.
camping, hikes, ghost forest, guidebook, hiking, Great Sand Dunes, vacation, fourteener, Diane Winger, Colorado, Sangre de Cristo, family fun, sand dunes, Marble Cave, surge flow, Medano Creek, book, The Prow, Charlie Winger, Fourteeners, mountaineering, Zapata Falls, travel, Kit Carson

TEXT CACHED

Explore the rich culture and traditions of some of Colorado's oldest communities and the panoramic views of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountain ranges, the high, fertile San Luis Valley, The Great Sand Dunes National Park, state and federal parks and wildlife areas.
This geologic wonderland, containing over 30 square miles of massive dunes, became a national monument in 1932 and its newest designation as a park on October 13, 2004.
Prices: $120 to $205 per person, double occupancy, two nights lodging, 2 rounds of golf at 2 courses and an incredible breakfast each morning.
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.
Colorado Hot Springs Great Sand Dunes National Park Cumbres Toltec CO
Great Sand Dunes National Park Located just 30 minutes from Alamosa it contains North America's tallest dunes, rising over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Prices: $130 to $180 per person, double occupancy, two nights lodging, and a delicious breakfast each morning.

TEXT CACHED
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is found on page 81 of the DeLorme Colorado Atlas Gazetteer and on the National Geographic Trails Illustrated #138 Sangre de Cristo / Great Sand Dunes National Park topo map.
Parks / Great Sand Dunes: Backcountry Camping Offers Solitude and Challenge
After picking up our free backcountry camping permit at Great Sand Dunes National Park's Visitor Center, we drove a mile along the sandy Medano Pass Primitive Road to our aptly-named parking area.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located 35 miles northeast of Alamosa, Colorado.
The greatest reward for our hard work came early the following morning as we admired the sand dunes at sunrise -- a sublime sight witnessed by very few park visitors.

Charlie and Diane are authors of The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and Highpoint Adventures -- the Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints.
The National Park Service hosts the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve website.
When even your parking location has an intriguing and intimidating name like Point of No Return, you know adventure is in store.
The park is reached by US Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 150 from the south, or from Colorado Highway 17 and County Six Mile Lane from the west.

TEXT CACHED
New to this web site? Then visit: Newcomers Forum , Home Page FAQ Page Great Sand Dunes National Park with Steve and Tara!.
The park literature said the highest points of the dunes were equivalent to being on the 70th floor of a building.
Tara and I had our sights set on reaching that top dune in the park, which is relatively close to the visitor area.
Great Sand Dunes National Park Pictures in San Luis Valley (Southern Colorado) - by Steve Garufi
dunes of sand, great sand dunes, great sand dunes national park, coloradoguy, southern colorado, dave vetter, san luis valley, sand dunes

TEXT CACHED
At the Great Sand Dunes National Park, you'll see a unique sight in North America - the largest sand dunes in the Western Hemisphere! In addition, we'll take you to remote mountain valleys, ride past old west ghost towns, and allow you time to play in mountain creeks and waterfalls.
DAY 3: Again we start the day with unlimited cowboy coffee and a hearty breakfast and then it's off to the high timberline section of the Park.
Hidden Trails - riding vacations in Colorado. We take the guesswork out of your planning. Choose from some of the best riding tours throughout the US and North America. Free brochure. True wilderness adventure.
Colorado - The San Dunes National Park Ride with Hidden Trails.
Riding in to the Monument Portion of the park we turn south to ride along Medano Creek to the highest dunes.
new mexico, travelling, oregon, colorado, idaho, family vacations, entertainment, united states, georgia, riding tours, houston, adventure vacation, horse, rocky mountains, mountain ranges, utah, wyoming, western tack, arkansa, montana, horseback expedition, inns, riding clinics, usa, eco tourism, riding school, culture, trek, nevada, honeymoon, riding holidays, countryside, adventure, horseback rides, working ranches, biking, hiking, arizona, riding lessons, america, sangre de cristo, hills, virginia, vacations, rodeos, outdoor adventures, hawaii, outdoor, equestrians, holiday, elk river valley, dallas, horses, midwest, hacking, us, guided tours, vermont, dressage, mountains, equine, rockies, tours, south dakota, rafting, wilderness, expedition, worldwide tours, atlantic coast, cattle drives, new york, north america, packtrip, california, travel, texas, weminuche, horseback, missouri, international vacations
Arriving at the trailhead, as our pack string is loaded with duffels and supplies, one of your two wrangler-guides will give you and your friends or family detailed instructions on riding, saddling and the care of your mount.
Canada Alberta Kananaskis Rides National Park Willmore Wilderness.
Colorado Intro Sangre de Cristo Ultimate Pack Trip and Turf Springs Ride Sand Dunes Ride Ride.

TEXT CACHED
If you want to take a non-standard approach into the park, and you have a 4WD vehicle, take the Medano Pass road that starts in the Wet Mountain Valley.
This could possibly be the best deal in the National Park system as the entrance fee is only $3.
The Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park have also been said to be North America’s tallest by some accounts, though the tallest dune in its one-mile wide, three-mile long strip is 680 feet.
Thanks, Jack! View the 100-picture gallery! Resources There are two must-have outstanding resources for the Great Sand Dunes which I highly recommend: First up, is Charlie and Diane Winger’s The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
*This fact courtesy The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park Preserve by Charlie Diane Winger Other Destinations Arches of Rattlesnake Canyon Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Dinosaur National Monument Elk Mountains Fall Color Drives San Juan Mountains.
At this parking lot is an incredibly awesome vantage point of the dunes as it is somewhat of a low aerial perspective.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is America’s newest National Park, which officially came to be in September 2004.
The overlook is reached via an easy-to-moderate, one-mile trail with a 400-foot elevation gain that starts in the second loop in the campground (specifically, campsite #62), or at the Point of No Return parking lot along the Medano road.
This book is the premier, and most complete, guide for the dunes and surrounding area, without question.

If you want the traditional icon picture of this place, park at one of the two back-to-back roadside pullouts near the main park entrance sign immediately after the cattle guard near the Amoco service station and store.
You’ll see the sign for it near mile marker 11 on Highway 150, just five miles from the National Park entrance.
Diane, thanks for the great compliments about this article of mine and for putting a link on your site! The second book that I highly recommend is John Weller’s Great Sand Dunes National Park, Between Light and Shadow.

TEXT CACHED
Adventure Specialists runs custom packtrip programs at the Ranch, in the Sangres, and abroad in the Peruvian Andes and Mexico's Copper Canyon.
Horseback Riding - Pack Trips Bear Basin Packtrips offers a number of high-adventure horse pack trips on Bear Basin's 3,500 acres and adjacent private and BLM lands, or through the nearby Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area, or in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Bear Basin's trips include: - 'Ultimate Adventure' Pack Trip.
A 1880's Colorado ranch specializing in adventure treks, horses, pack trips, climbing, rafting & hunting trips. In the Sagre de Cristo's since 1970
climbing, horse packtrips, Crestone Peak, mountain biking, backpacking, adventure guides, Sangres, Silver Cliffe, Crestone Needle, trail rides, Sangre de Cristos, Colorado ranch trips, Colorado horseback, hot springs, hunting, Bear Basin Packtrips, wet valley, team pening, Adventure trips, Crestone, cattle drives, rafting, river rafting, Custer County, Colorado Springs activities, adventure vacation, Westcliffe, elk hunt, Bear Basin Ranch, Colorado horse pack trips
Some trips include other activities besides purely horseback riding as well, such as mountain climbing or white water rafting or soaking in secluded mountain hot springs!.
Horse Riding I Climbing I Biking I Rafting I Weekends I Fall I Winter I Travel Abroad I Custom Trips ,.
Horse packtrip & outdoor adventure in Colorado at Bear Basin