Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Reviews

Worth the drive from Denver but make sure you arrive early AM or for the sunset or you will certainly be sweating bullets. Amazing views and quite an amazing experience overall!

Amazing place!.. Totally worth it!.. Rent some sandboards in the nearest town!!!! That activity is the beeeest in the dunes!!!!
Nice parking lots with restrooms, outdoor showers, water fountain.
It starts with a little river in the sand. People with beach chairs and kids playing building sand castles. After that.. Is like a dessert, sand hills, little and huge sand mountains. You can go everywhere you want. The hike can be very very tough, the wind and weather can get rough too. So long sleeves, pants and raincoat.
Get hydratated during the day, lots of sunscreen(the sun is all year long).. And OFF for the sunset mosquito attack!

Not as crowded as most National Parks, and it really rewards those who are active and get out of their cars.

Get ready to keep saying WOW every 10 seconds. There's so much to see. If you're an outdoor enthusiast or and exercise all your needs will be met here. Came here in late February and got in the best workout. We also had the park to ourselves, or so it seemed. The dunes are breathtaking and humiliating. Climbing them is so much fun

What a beautiful place to visit! We have a great time!

Sand dunes near the Rockies - pretty sweet. Heads up - you'll walk across a small stream / river to get to the sand dunes.

Wonderful experience! Kids had a blast in the creek!

So much fun, rented a board and sled and got a great workout.

wow! just wow! the visitor center is small but the park rangers were extremely helpful and kind. the dunes are very impressive!!! once in a lifetime experience. do keep in mind that you need to wade through a shallow creek. i recommend arriving in early morning before the sand gets hot, wading through the creek in bare feet, and then putting on sandals/shoes/boots if you intend to hike more than just to the base of the dunes.

very fun experience for people of all ages.

This place is gorgeous! We arrived very early so we did not have to pay the park entry fee and because we were one of the first cars of the day, we got to see the dunes in all their glory before there were footprints everywhere. My husband walks with a cane due to balance issues and he did just fine. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and plenty of water as it does get hot quickly. I also recommend hiking boots rather than tennis shoes as the sand is quite deep in some places. We got to see some deer including twin fawns while we were there too which was magical.

This is an awesome.place to bring the Family, with great camping sites and Tons of backroads you can take to explore multiple sides of the sand dunes. Price is 25$ for each car, and they do offer free entry for military members. Definitely bring Mosquito spray though!!!

Great place to Camp and hang out. Mosquitos were crazy near the creek though.

Excellent park for walking, playing, sharing, camping. Recommend these sand dunes or sand dunes in southern Colorado

ive been here three times, the past two in a year. best trips ive taken;)

It was cold. Most of the water in the Rio Grande was frozen. It was sooooooooo cool! It got dark too early.

Great place to spend some time. We went in Mid October, so the summer melt was not running. Rented some boards from the shop at the south entrance. Fun family day!

Great Sand Dunes needs to be experienced to be appreciated. A relatively easy drive from Denver and a very unassuming approach from the south, this park will wow you upon arrival. It s hard to believe that such a feature could be situated in what appears to be a barren area of plains. Take advantage of the experience and rent a sand board outside the park.

Very beautiful. Much harder than I expected to hike up the dunes. Sliding down was fun!

I have live in Colorado for most of my life and this past weekend was my first time ever going to hike. The river was awesome , the dunes are massive and the hike was hard but worth it at the top. Phenomenal views! Such a majecstic place to have sand dunes right up against the mountains.

The hike up to the top is incredibly difficult. Hardest hike I ve done in CO. Your feet fall into the sand and you will need to take breaks going up it, everyone takes pauses especially towards the top when it gets really steep.

The sand is scorching hot in the afternoon, and coming down can literally burn your ankles, like seriously it s that hot. We wore gym shoes and socks and it still wasn t enough to protect our feet. It was painful!

Idk why there isn t a bridge over the creek. It isn t great strolling through water barefoot and putting your socks and shoes back on in sand.

The line to get into the park is very long as well.

If you don t know how to snowboard with good form I don t recommend you try sand boarding. You won t be able to stay upright or get to a speed where it s worth bringing a board.

All in all, the sand dunes are an incredible sight. They are deceivingly massive and the views are nice, although you can t see over the dunes bc it just keeps going and going. Crazy huge place!

This was one of the most amazing places I have visited!!!!

Backcountry camping is allowed in the dunes. If you want to find out what silence in nature sounds like, highly recommend.... until the little kangaroo rays wake up.

An amazing phenomenon. Park rangers are pretty chill since the sand is constantly being replaced and there isn't much a human can do to erode the tails in the dunes....because there are none.

Fun place to visit. Very windy so you may want to bring a scarf to protect you from some of the sand. If you want to sled the dunes a hard bottomed sled that has been waxed works best or a waxed snow board.

This is one of my most memorable stops to date. Gigantic sand dunes in the middle of nowhere, open sky and next to the Sangre de Cristo mountains - gorgeous! Make sure you hike these beauties!

Its a one of a kind of the experience. Beautiful park. Kids can enjoy the sands and various activities they can do on their own on the sand. Its up to you how much time you want to spend there. Any time spent there will be fun.

Great Sand Dunes is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! & mosquitos not too bad this time of year. Glamped @ Oasis camp grounds just 9 min drive from Dunes - clean facilities & grounds. Camo store is well stocked. There is a restaurant on site as well if you don't feel like cooking.

Very nice bathrooms they were just remodeled they're nice and clean the RV sites works very well very close to the dunes roughly 5 or 10 minutes the grocery store of course is overpriced as well as the gas I did not eat at the restaurant but the food look good over all was a very nice place and the dunes were amazing

Loads of fun if you get on the sand dunes early before they get hot. Camping on the preserve is fun and gorgeous, but only available if you have 4wd (don't even try it in a standard RV). We will definitely be back!

What an amazing place. It looks and feels like a mirage. Rent your sand boards from the Oasis, which is on the way and a couple miles from the entrance to the park. Do NOT try to use a snow sled, cardboard, plastic tub lid, or whatever else as it doesn't work in the sand. The boards are only $20 each and take the wax they give you, you'll need it! Fun for the whole family. Wear plenty of sunscreen regardless of the weather, and bring a sweatshirt. Weather changed quickly out there.

Beautiful place lost of climbing and hiking the creek is like heaven on a hot day

What an amazing place! We went mid August. The water was dried up, but there was a cool breeze and the temperature was very comfortable before noon. I didn't see any mosquitoes thankfully. The campgrounds were very nice with clean bathrooms. I strongly suggest renting a sand sled especially if you have kids. Bring lots of water and sunscreen. If you have a 4x4, take the trails, you'll see a unique perspective and there's sledding areas that aren't overrun.

After you see Grand Canyon, Canyolans, Arch park. etc. this is little thing. If you are on the road you can take a look

Loved every minute of it. Everyone was so nice and sledding down the dunes was so much fun!!

Not what I expected...everything closed at visitor center...very disappointed

This place is incredible. We went when the water was low but it was still such an incredible experience. Climb and slide down giant sand dunes then make your way back to the water to cool off.

Best time to visit will be early morning before sun rise or just before sun set. Scorching heat gave us a very difficult time to sand sled. Otherwise, We had an amazing experience. I would definitely come back again in the winter.

Amazing views. If you have a 4x4 I definitely recommend the trail they have!

It's so fun! Go early though! The sand gets hot in the afternoon.

Incredible. It s definitely a hike so be prepared for that, it s more strenuous than it appears so bring a lot of water and wear sunscreen! Try to go before 10AM or for the sunset. You will be there a while if you want to climb the dunes, you don t want to get the afternoon sun cause it gets hot

An amazing place! Don't go when it's windy. Do sled. Go at night if it's clear. Watch the moon rise.

Who s never seen sand before? And come on, you re in Colorado - there s mountains everywhere. Who cares if the mountains are close to the sand. Just stay at home.

We thought we would be at the park maybe an hour. We ended up being there for several hours. Really beautiful place and not very crowded at all.

Insane! Dunes are incredible. Lots to do here. Dunes are hard to climb though! have eyewear and maybe scarf / bandanna for mouth - sand is blowing

This place is amazing, a must see for anyone remotely close needs to stop by!

Desolate and remote. Serene majesty of ephemeral nature of our unchanging planet.

Beautiful area and the staff were all helpful and friendly.

I remember coming to the Sand Dunes when I was a kid and you didn't have to pay a fee. It's sad that they have to charge a fee
to enjoy the place, but it's understandable. Time's change!

Beautiful, rent wood boards at the store right before the guard booth, worth it.

We did not spend nearly as much time as we should ve here! This was a short stop on our road trip and I wish we planned to stay longer. Such an amazing site to see. We arrived around 10am, it was $25 to get through the gate. Not too many cars when we got there. There s a gas station and shop a little before the actual parking lot to get into the sand dunes. I m guessing this is where you can rent the cool boards to slide down the dunes in. Our 5 year old was in awe and loved playing in the sand. She was such a trooper! I wish we had more time to explore the area, but we will definitely be back. Everyone should experience this place once in their lives!

I still have sand in my sneakers a week after our visit. Wear some good sandals if you remember!

Awesome place, not having lights on the parking lot maybe intentional due to light pollution, but that gave us a scare. Last year we went all the way to the 3rd tallest dune and sun was going down, so we started to walk down, half way it got completely dark and we couldn't tell direction and where the parking spot was. We got lucky that we took off early and was walking in the direction of the parking spot from the begging, we continued our original direction and wasn't too far out when reached the bottom and saw a person and she waved us to say 'this is the way'. Even though it is our fault for staying maybe too long at the top , I think this will be a common mistake a lot of people will make. Maybe a blinking light every 10-15 minute would help, that way it wont be a light pollution issue.

Highly recommend that you visit. Only 3 hours from Denver but way worth the drive. There is also little attractions near the dunes that you can visit as well. Way worth the drive and I don't think you'll be disappointed with the unusual views.

Great places for camping, hiking and for kids. My kids loved playing in the river and running/rolling down the dunes.

Small but worth seeing park!
Above all: not so crowded ...

We were actually only passing through, but in the end we were pleasantly surprised.
Entry costs USD 15 and is rather cheap for national parks. For this you get 200 meter high dunes and in May / June a pleasant cooling in the river bed in front of the dunes.
We made a side trip with the SUV and could see the impressive dunes from the back. With a normal car, even with all-wheel drive, it is not advisable!
You will inevitably get stuck!
There are horse riding excursions and the possibility to go down the dunes with a sandboard (no lift;) - must be bought outside the park). Who e.g. If you want to stay longer for hiking, you can stay in the nearby lodge or at the campsite in the park. We arrived in the morning from South Fork an hour away.

WOW. This place is amazing. We got there early to ensure we had a parking spot and enough time to explore before it got to hot. We hiked some of the dunes. One of the people in our party went to the top of the 2nd highest peak. It took about two hours round trip for her.

If we are ever in the area again we will definitely go back.

Great place to take your family and some great hiking spots along the way! Never disappoints.

Great place to visit and a good workout on your legs!!

The Dunes are awesome! Dogs love to run in Medano Creek and the sand. Good selection of tent/camper sites. Downside is no there are no showers in the bathrooms and you must bring your own hand soap! Quiet, usually full of families.

So much fun to get out and explore. Be ready for a workout if you choose to climb the dunes!

Really lit, climbed to the top. Sand gets very hot in mid day, especially in the summer.

Such a unique, amazing place to enjoy with the family. We were lucky enough to get there just as some cloud coverage and a strong breeze came through. Otherwise you'll have to contend with some mosquitoes during the summer months. That said, my kids had a blast running up the dunes and sliding down them. It's a great place to go for a few hours if you're passing through or camping in the area.

Get to the visitora center in time to rent sandboard/sandsleds. No, your stuff from home WONT WORK. Lots of walking and windy but it is an amazing wonder.

Mosquitoes are rampant. I'm talking like bring the bug spray on your hike. other than that it's was magnificent.

Awesome experience! The dunes with the mountains and creek are unique!

Awesome views, easy access trails, and eat to get around in the car. Bring your bug spray if your going in the summer.

If it didn't cost $25.00 to get in, It would have been better. $25 to play in a giant sandbox seems a little high to me.

There aren't enough words for the beauty and grandiosity of this place. We hiked up the dune (400+ ft)... But halfway through a windstorm hit so it took us closer to 2 hours instead of 1...
Camped out under the stars and watched the meteor shower - moonless night - it was stunning!
Add it to your bucket list!

Disclaimer: the route we took required 4-wheel drive.

This place is huge. Got in for free with my National Parks pass. The mountains are gorgeous, the sand dunes are worth hiking at least once, (over prepare when it comes to sun protection-- you will need it). Rent a sled from someone outside the park and sled the dunes. I highly recommend doing multiple smaller dunes over the really big ones-- landings can hurt and you can get sand in your nose and ears if you wipe out. Load up on water before you set out. Sadly, this year, Medano Creek is bone dry. Great place to camp-- Pinon Flats is well laid out. Backcountry camping is available, and you gotta see the stars at night!