Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, established on September 13, 2004, in Colorado, is notable for housing the tallest sand dunes in North America, which reach heights of up to 750 feet. This unique landscape formed from an ancient lake bed allows visitors to engage in activities like sandboarding, sand sledding, and seasonal water sports such as wakeboarding. The park spans 149,137 acres and encompasses diverse ecosystems, including grasslands, wetlands, and forests at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The natural beauty is complemented by minimal light pollution, making it an excellent location for stargazing.
The area has a rich history, with Indigenous peoples, such as the Ute and Navajo, having inhabited the land for thousands of years, recognizing the spiritual significance of the surrounding mountains. The park's sand dunes were first documented in the early 1800s when army lieutenant Zebulon Pike encountered them during an exploratory mission. Over time, the area evolved from a site of pioneer struggles to a protected national park, reflecting both its natural and cultural heritage. With increasing visitor numbers, park management is exploring options to enhance infrastructure to preserve the park's resources while maintaining a quality experience for all visitors.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Park Information
- Date Established: September 13, 2004
- Location: Colorado
- Area: 149,137 acres
Overview
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of four national parks in Colorado. It is home to the highest sand dunes in North America. Formed in an ancient lake bed, the dunes provide a unique opportunity for visitors to enjoy sports such as sandboarding and sand sledding, while seasonal water sources provide opportunities for sports such as wakeboarding and tubing.
The dunes are the park’s highlight, but Great Sand Dunes National Park includes many other ecosystems. The park extends to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which tower more than 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) over the dunes. The area of the park has many trees, including pines and aspens, as well as other woodland plants and animals. The park has several diverse ecosystems and also includes grasslands and wetland areas. The mountain streams that feed into the area are part of the preserve because they are important to the ecology of the dunes and surrounding environment. The park’s distance from large cities means that the night sky is free of light pollution and provides excellent opportunities for stargazing.
History
Most experts believe that the park is the remnant of a valley lake that dried up as many as 440 million years ago. As the lake and its feeder streams evaporated, small gravel and sand were revealed. These were picked up by the wind and carried until they reached the foot of the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where the winds dropped them. Over time, these particles piled up to become the dunes.
The indigenous people of North America have lived in or around the area for at least 11,000 years. It is believed the first people to spend time in the area might have been nomadic hunters from the Clovis era who were following herds of bison and mammoths that once roamed freely here.
Native Americans remained familiar with the area for centuries; the Ute people called it Saa waap maa nache, or “the sand that moves.” The mountains around the park were sacred to the Navajo, who especially revered Sisnaajini, a 14,000-foot (4,267-meter) mountain south of the dunes that is now known as Blanca Peak. Spanish explorers Diego de Vargas and Juan Bautista de Anza II are also believed to have encountered the dunes.
The first written records of the Great Sand Dunes were made in the early 1800s. Army lieutenant Zebulon Pike was charged by President Thomas Jefferson with leading an exploratory expedition to Arkansas. As Pike worked through the uncharted areas, he inadvertently crossed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and came in sight of the dunes. He recorded the sighting in his trip journal on January 28, 1807, and compared the way the sand moved across the dunes to a sea in a storm.
Over the next century, many of those who moved westward across America encountered the dunes and the area around them. They were often called the sand hills by the travelers who either struggled to make slow progress through them or went around them as they moved through Colorado. Eventually, routes were established in the area, including Medano Pass Road and the Mosca Pass Toll Road, both established in the later decades of the 1800s. Around that same time, homesteaders began building ranches and farmlands near Medano Creek, and pioneer industries such as lumber mills and sawmills sprang up. The area also saw some gold prospecting during the gold rush in the early 1850s, but there was little payout and prospectors quickly abandoned the area.
The threat of mining and other industrial operations in the area concerned some nearby residents, who began efforts to protect the sand dunes and surrounding area. In 1932, President Herbert Hoover signed a bill making the area a national monument. In September 2004, President George W. Bush signed the bill that made Great Sand Dunes a national park.
In 2024, park staff announced that too many people were visiting the park annually for its infrastructure to support. Roughly 600,000 visitors visited the park annually in the 2020s, up from the 250,000-300,000 that visited the park each year in the previous decades. Park staff said that this substantial increase was affecting the park's natural and cultural resources, as well as the park's safety and visitor experiences. To remedy this issue, park rangers suggested the creation of new trails, expanding the park's parking lots, and adding more accessible infrastructure.
Geology and Ecology
The park is located in southern Colorado. The sand dunes that give the park its name are believed to have been formed from the remains of an ancient lake bed. Winds blowing through the San Luis Valley continually reshape the dunes, pushing the sand to heights of 750 feet (228 meters) in some areas. This makes them the tallest dunes in North America.
Although sand from the dunes does blow into the nearby mountain foothills, the unique flow of wind in the area keeps the dunes themselves from completely disappearing. These winds can reach 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour and frequently change directions. As they blow across from the northeast to the southwest and then reverse, they push the sand back and forth. This reshapes the dunes but keeps them from disappearing altogether.
In addition to the unique wind patterns, the existence of the dunes depends on the many small streams and waterways that keep the area from becoming too arid and dry. In the spring, as the snow from the surrounding mountains melts, it flows down into the lower, flatter areas of sand. Here, the flow of wind and water over the sand is enough to create waves that allow for water sports such as wakeboarding and tubing during portions of the year.
Arid sand and snowy alpine mountains are only two of the ecosystems that can be found in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The area also includes wetlands and grasslands. The diverse range of climates and ecosystems support a wide variety of plant and animal life. The dunes themselves are barren, but surrounding areas are home to several types of snakes, salamanders, toads, and lizards. Mule deer, elk, pronghorn, beavers, badgers, hares, marmots, squirrels, and the occasional mountain lion and bear can also be found in the park. Many birds, including falcons, owls, hummingbirds, and bluebirds, also call the park home.
Bibliography
Avakian, Talia. “Natural Phenomenon Creates Awesome Waterslide at Great Sand Dunes National Park.” Travel & Leisure, 13 June 2017, www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/medano-creek-surge-flow. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Barnes, Susan B. “Great Sand Dunes National Park: 10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Visit.” USA Today, 13 May 2016, www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/2016/05/13/great-sand-dunes-national-park-preserve-guide-videos-photos/84345710/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Explore the Largest Sand Dunes in North America.” National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/great-sand-dunes-national-park/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.” History Colorado, www.historycolorado.org/great-sand-dunes-national-park-and-preserve. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.” National Park Foundation, www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/great-sand-dunes-national-park-and-preserve. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve—Colorado.” National Park Service, www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“National Park Profile: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.” Come to Live Colorado, 2 Oct. 2018, www.colorado.com/articles/national-park-profile-great-sand-dunes-national-park-preserve. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Sandboarding: Hitting Slopes of Sand.” CBS News, 5 Aug. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/sandboarding-at-great-sand-dunes-national-park/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Willard, Heather. "Great Sand Dunes National Park Seeks Public Input on Infrastructure Improvements." Fox, 18 Mar. 2024, kdvr.com/news/local/great-sand-dunes-national-park-seeks-public-input-on-infrastructure-improvements/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.