A Little Info

The Great Sand Dunes National Park was established in 2004 and is home to Star Dune, the tallest sand dune in North America, rising 755 feet from its base. During summer, the sand surface can reach scorching temperatures of 150 degrees. Scientists believe these magnificent dunes began to form over 440,000 years ago, growing as sand grains accumulate over time. Each dune features a windward side, where the wind pushes sand upward, and a slip face side, which is sheltered from the wind. For those who enjoy the heat and sandy landscapes, this national park is a must-visit, though it may not appeal to traditional beach enthusiasts.

Tough Call

I had significant reservations about visiting this national park in the summer. Concerns flooded my mind regarding the scorching sand, the inevitable grit that would invade our camper early in the trip (who enjoys sleeping with sand?), the availability of activities for kids, and whether the visit would truly be worthwhile. I carefully considered my options and revised our itinerary several times.

Option 1: This national park is 19 1/2 hours from home. Our plans were to leave the last day of school, travel 6 hours before stopping to rest in Mayfield Kentucky, continue our trip to Pratt Kansas, and finally arrive at the national park the third day of travel. We would rest and enjoy the park during the morning hours before making our way to the Million Dollar Highway in route to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This route allows many photography opportunities along the highway.

Option 2: Skip Sand Dunes National Park and drive over 24 hours making our way to the Million Dollar Highway which would still make us getting to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park later than I would like. We would be exploring this national park the next day as with the first option.

Which option did we pick?

Option

We elected to add this national park to our experience. I am glad that we chose to go because our children thoroughly enjoyed the cold stream and the sand. A store, not far from the park, offers board rental for those seeking a fun adventure for children. We observed numerous people using boards to ride down the dunes. Many people hiked up the dunes as their experience. We chose to make this park a stop and go. We had many miles to travel and we didn’t like the idea of sand following us. It was only the beginning of our Summer adventures.

Things to Know

The stream is not always flowing. During our visit, the stream was very cold. It was due to the snow melting from the snow cap mountains and running down into the valley. The sand was not extremely hot the morning of May 26, 2025.

Our children’s first experience to become a “Junior Ranger” was at the Great Sand Dune National Park. The park ranger gave my kids an activity book to work on while visiting the park. After the pages were complete, we returned the book to the ranger station where they were sworn in as a Junior Ranger. The Ranger gave our children a badge/pin specific to their park. My children explored the museum and learned about the park. They were excited to begin the experience of collecting these pins.

Camping

Our primitive camping site on Como Road was great. This road is located before the entrance to the park. The campsite was free and located on BLM land. We were fortunate to find a spot that had a fire ring and left over sticks of firewood. We highly recommend this experience.

Easton had his first tango with a cactus. He was trying to stop his basketball from rolling into the prickly bush but tripped and fell into it himself. We picked hundreds of spines from his arm and hands.

More

This park offers more to explore than what I have posted. We chose to “stop and go” for this national park. We do not care much for sand but noticed many others enjoyed their experience here.

Click here to see pictures of the scenery and the park through my children’s eyes.