The dunes are gorgeous! To get to them, you need to cross a small Creek in the sand which means getting your feet wet! The dunes are incredibly challenging to go up. Make sure you eat before going up and take water.
Best experience ... Make sure wind speed before go up
Gorgeous!! So unique and beautiful! The High Dune trail summit gives 360 views! The visitor center is educational and the gift shop has good options. The campgrounds loop 1 has wonderful views. Rent a board right outside the park to sand surf but bring a big backpack to carry it in and trekking poles.
Such a magical spot in Colorado. It fascinating to see just how grand the sand dunes actually are. The dunes are quite tricky to hike up since the sand is always sliding underneath you. You can rent boards to ride down the dunes like a snowboard. I didn t but I saw plenty of groups doing so. When I went in August, the sand was very hot so we had put boots on our dog paws to protect them.
Very much worth the drive! If we could do something differently it would be dressing better for the wind conditions. If you plan to climb the dunes on a windy day you will want something to cover your eyes and mouth. I ve also heard that the bugs can be bad if the wind isn t blowing so bring bug spray
Fun place to play in the sand and learn about how the dunes formed. If you can't hike or walk well this might not be the best place to visit.
Incredible, strange, majestic. What an awesome place, moderate hike to the top, go in the morning to avoid the heat.
Go early or wait in 3 hour lines, but well worth it
Enjoyed our time camping with our kids. We had tons of fun on the dunes and in the creek!
Sand in a vallyie surrounded by tree's and mountains
Gorgeous place, super windy today, which made it so we couldn't actually make it out to the Dunes, but it was still a fun trip.
Great park! Lots of hiking trails, well maintained campsites, and a convenient store. Bring mosquito repellent if going in summer!
Unbelievable desert views with a stream, camping and surrounding mountains!!!
Absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite national parks so far
Beautiful vistas of the sand dunes. Welcome center closed due to covid.
Absolutely stunning landscape. The parking area is very accessible and there are nice bathrooms and filtered water near the dunes. There was a creek right across the path to the dunes so you will either want to go barefoot or bring flip flops.
Beautiful place, lost of fun, but if you plan on hiking the dunes, you will need to be really fit or be prepared for it to take a very long time to reach the top.
Tips: bring a swim suit to rinse off in the showers after sledding/hiking. Bring extra clothes, shoes and socks. Wear as much sun protection as possible (hat, sun glasses, long pants, long sleeve shirt) and make sure to wax your sled regularly or you will crash
Superb view and fun place but can be little cold till May. 4 hour drive from Denver. For camping advance reservation is recommended.!!!
Interesting place, very dusty, lol, looks like a beach with no sand
This is one of the lesser known national parks and in my opinion one of the best. No where else like it in the US. It feels like you're climbing dunes in the Sahara. Go in the spring and there in a nice stream that runs through as well. Good place to let kids play.
Great park and so much to do. People watching, sand hiking, sand sliding, stream rafting. Camping, museums.
Great park with surreal dunes where you would least expect them in mountain area. Also open during covid crisis which makes it better than the closed Rocky Mountain National Park currently.
You need sand protection. Ski goggles preferred for the eyes, bring a bandana or scarf, bottles water no open containers. The sand is everywhere and the high winds made it pretty gnarly for our visit.
After 2-3 times down the wind was so intense blowing the sand into your face, eyes etc etc we couldn't stay out and left.
Went back to the stream and spent 3 hours playing in that and walking up and down looking for interesting rocks.
Seeing and experiencing these sand dunes was awesome but could have been alot more fun if we had been better prepared. I suggest long sleeves and even long pants for the Dunes and bathing suites for the rest.
Bring a kite.
The head geologist here, Andrew is a great guy, super knowledgable and friendly. This place is amazing, beautiful, worth the trip. One of the best places I've ever been in my life.
Must see park if your in the area. Highly recommend climbing to the top of Star dune. Would also recommend renting boards so you can surf down the dunes. Not a lot of drivable roads in the park unless you have a 4WD.
AWESOME place to visit! If you haven't seen it, you really should. It has a nice visitor center as well. We love this place!
Great National Park a little pricey but well worth the trip
A great place to stop if you're on a long road trip! Would recommend renting a sand sled from one of the nearby places to truly experience the best of the dunes
Absolutely amazing! This needs to be seen to be appreciated. So gorgeous
What a cool place, it's always windy here but the day we chose it was blowing 35-40 mph!! If you want to last more than a couple of hours wear pants and shoes/sandals where the sand can pass through. Not great for kids less than 4 or 5. Stop by the station before the park entrance and rent a sled or board for some extra fun. If you're there in the spring you'll have to cross a wide washout with some fun waves of water from the melt. And if you don't plan on coming back, pass on your ticket on the way out to a family like the nice folks we had!!
It is amazing!! The sand is very fine and it feels nice in your feet. A very cool experience my children love it! It's like a huge sand box to play!
Get the sand boards and go check out the Colorado gator alligator park then cool off at the splash hot springs.
beautiful and fun but no parking or clear directions to location of the dunes overlook trail. I wasted time trying to find it.
Sand Dunes is absolutely amazing! Seriously you will feel like you are in a Disney movie! I highly suggest bringing sleds, and sliding down once you get to the top! There are places near by where you can rent them. The history of the Dunes is also pretty unique, definitely check out the visitor center as well.
You can run right up the dunes, and then run down. It's more fun than it sounds.
Amazing. So glad we made a point to visit.
Tips:
(1) Visit the welcome center for a neat at-a-distance view of the dunes and to get all the geographical info before you hike.
(2) Restrooms and waterbottle filling station there!
(3) There are multiple national parks stamps at the station for stamping your parks "passport" or collection book, and you can ask for the secret ones at the desk and they will bring them out for you.
(4) To hike, bring water and snacks, for sure. Sunscreen!!! I hiked in my hiking boots and I think it is what I could prefer to do again. Don't do barefoot! Sandals looked tiring.
(5) You must cross water to access the dunes. You will want to be able to remove your footwear and have to roll your pants pretty high! Lots of families were swimming and playing in this beach area. Good for kites!
(6) If I come again, I would bring a bandana to cover my face when the wind kicks up.
(7) The hike, though tiring, is worth the satisfaction. I live at a much lower altitude so had to take many, many breaks. But I am very glad I did it!
Great experience. Walking up the steep dunes is not as hard as it looks. The sand conforms
to your shoe and creates a step as you climb. Hydrate well before climbing the dunes! Don t wear sandals, the sand will be too hot on your feet. Sneakers with socks are best. Enjoy the
awesome landscapes! One of a kind venue.
Park entrance fee is $25 per car. This fee includes a brochure, a place to park, use of restrooms, foot wash stations, and drinking fountains. If you own a snowboard, bring it along with some wax for the board. Great family
activity!
Wonderful place, another most see place in Colorado
Well let me tell this place is a inspiring , Soul cleansing , Absolutely Fantastic place God created , Highly recommend it !!! First place We had it going on well !!!
Love this place! We have visited it during all the seasons. My sons love going and spending the day here. It never gets old. Yes even I play in the sand. It s really just a peaceful and beautiful location.
THIS PLACE IS U.N.R.E.A.L!!! No wonder this is a National Park! There's nothing like this place anywhere else in the world. You have real sand dunes on one side (people climbing the dunes look like ants!), a snow capped peak in the middle (the snow melt is what creates the AMAZING stream here which is only 6 inches deep at the most! Definitely safe for kids!!), and then beautiful tree covered mountains!
This place is gorgeous! It definitely creates lifetime memories whether its the incredible views, the steam, or both!!!
It cost us $15/car to get into the park, not bad at all!
Came here on a whim with my hubs, our friends, and everyone's kids. 14 of us in total. We moved to North Dakota from Colorado years ago and now travel to Colorado every summer.
All of us decided that the Great Sand Dunes National Park will be a yearly summer trip that we all do together making for great memories and the beginning of a yearly tradition!!
If you like beaches but hate the water, this is your heaven.
Gorgeous views, sand everywhere! It's quite the workout but totally worth it.
Incredible landscape! The juxtaposition with the mountains is truly breathtaking
great outing for a family. if you have a walking disability, they do offer a few wheelchairs with big balloon tires. they are a bit of a challenge to get out of the closet where they are kept near the dunes, and would be terribly difficult to push over the sand, but ok over the wetlands. the visitor center was helpful.
Not hot ! today is littly chilly and rainning, so we can't go to climb all the way top. we'll visit again next time .
Amazing experience. Great time when Medano Creek is out.
Takes some out of the way driving but it is worth the drive. Very unique national park.
Great Sand Dunes is a great place to go...but not on a weekend. It is packed and the line to get in was 3 miles long.
First time to the sand dunes. Love it. Will be back!!!
Never seen anything like it. Wished I could have two unrestrained days on them.
4hrs drive each way, maximum 2 hrs stay at this place. I do not know if this place is worth it or not but this place does bring smile on my face. landscapes are wonderful and best view you can imagine. If you are planning to visit then you should. It will mesmerize you.
Quite the spectacle. Dogs and people sliding down the sand dunes. Such a tough Trek to the top everybody was having a good time
So beautiful!! Would definitely recommend hiking up to the falls that's located at the entrance... And yes getting your feet wet is worth it! I went while it was raining/cloudy and it was still breath taking.
It s a beautiful and unique place to visit. From parking lot to the first snap dune is 0.3 miles walk in sand. Bring a lot of water! Don t flip flops or you won t make it far, use shoes with long socks. Sand boards are NOT rented at the park so reserve one and pick it up before you go. The park s website has a list of stores that rent sand boards and sleds. Believe it or no Dogs are allowed at the dunes! But remember to bring a lot of water for your pet too cause it s hot and very tiring. Enjoy and remember Leave No Trace!!!
These are so cool! The river bed was pretty wide from the snow melt this year.We'll be back next year in May to witness the river flowing. Took our Jeep along the trail behind the dunes, since it's 4 wheel only on the trail.
This is a little known gem and an amazing wonder in southern Colorado at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Giant sand dunes you can climb and/or sandboard down. Note that you have to cross a creek/small river to get to the dunes (no bridge). Not good for those with mobility issues but the dunes can be seen from the visitors center and the road in. Well worth the diversion for this unique natural wonder.
Amazing place. Hiking the dunes is much more difficult then you would imagine, but the view at the top makes it worth it.
Beach and mountains. What more could you ask for? Can be quite hazardous during off season months. Bring twice as much water think you'll need.
Beautiful but watch out for swarms of mosquitoes, still worth seeing no doubt
Just amazing, but we were caught by storm just in the middle of the Dunes
This time, we got to see more
Evenknow the water was ice cold, I enjoyed walking in it.
The first National Park I loved. I have come here almost every year since I was 17.
A wonderful place! It was awesome to walk in the dunes while seeing some mountains around. Beautiful landscapes.
Awesomesauce. Can't wait to go back and spend more time taking it all in and maybe stay the night. Nice place. One of the neatest geological anomalies I've ever seen. Beautiful and strange and peaceful. If you love nature and don't mind a good hike I recommend stopping by there. I worked out some leg muscles that I don't normally use but it was worth it. I it.
If anyone finds a pair of aviators out there in the sand, those are mine. Please yonk em back this way.
What a great experience. We went on 10/17/2020. There was a small wait to get into the Park, but they had two park rangers working who got people through fast. Due to social distancing, the gift shop had a long line to get into it so we didn't stay to wait. There were about 20 people in front of us in line and we stood for only 5 minutes and never saw anyone come out or go in so we decided not to wait. There were a lot of people but it was not crowded. Parking was a challenge. We had to park up the road about 1/4 miles. Handicap spaces were available in the lot when we visited.
One of mother nature's natural wonders tucked in the hip of the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. Bring sleds or snow boards but be ready for difficult hiking thru the sand. If you wanna climb to the top dunes peak be ready for a trek. From below it looks extremely deceiving how far it really is and the number of ridges up and down to follow and avoid. Theres always more than one route constantly changing with the choice of the wind. If you carefully plan your route you will save lots of energy and be able to enjoy the summit!
Definitely worth a visit! Spend some time hiking the dunes or sledding down. There's a creek to play in, and we saw lots of wildlife too! Just watch out for wind...that sand really hurts!
Special place to find a sand dune at this height. We went up barefoot relatively far. Great view from there.
These majestic Dunes are not to be missed. I was there in the late afternoon and the light of the setting sun made them even more spectacular.
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