One Great Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is the ultimate sandbox for all ages! With 30 square miles of dunes reaching up to 750 ft, there’s so much to explore.
In this guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park, I’ll cover everything you need to know to plan a perfect trip based on my experience visiting the park.
Let’s get started!
Great Sand Dunes National Park Basic Information
Great Sand Dunes is open 24/7 every day of the year.
The visitor center is open 9:00am – 4:30pm from Labor Day until Memorial Day weekend and 8:30 - 5:00 Memorial Day until Labor Day weekend. It is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
Park fees are $25 per vehicle which is valid for 7 days. If you’re planning on visiting multiple national parks an annual pass can be purchased for $80 and gives you access to all Federal fee areas for one year.
Park elevation ranges from 7,500 ft to over 13,000 ft, so if you haven’t spent much time at higher elevations, you might want to take your first day a bit slower to avoid getting altitude sickness.
Top Things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Hike the Dunes
Distance: There is no official trail, so hike as far as you want.
Difficulty: Easy - Strenuous
Trailhead Access: Main parking lot, just past the Visitor Center.
Duration: 30 minutes +
From the parking lot cross through Medano Creek and onto the Dunes. From here, you can choose to walk for 10 minutes to hike up small dunes, or venture further into the dunefield to explore the taller dunes.
The most popular destination is the High Dune on First Ridge. While this isn’t the tallest dune in the park, or the dune at the highest elevation, it does look like the highest dune from the parking lot. From this dune, you can get great views overlooking the entire dunefield, which makes it a great destination for those looking for a shorter hike, or hiking with kids. Hiking to High Dune is about 2.5 miles round trip and takes about 2 hours to complete. Keep in mind, hiking in the sand is significantly slower than hiking on harder surfaces.
The tallest dune in the park, and in North America for that matter, is Star Dune which stands at 750 ft tall. To access this dune, the easiest route is to hike south along the base of the Medano Creek from the parking lot for about two miles until the pyramid-shaped dune comes into view. Once it’s in view, follow the ridge of the dune up until you reach the summit. Hiking to Start Dune is about 8 miles round trip and takes 6+ hours to complete.
If there’s not a specific dune you want to explore, you can wander among the dunes and explore the vast landscape. Since there’s no official trail, hike as long as you want before turning around.
Trekker Tip: Spring and Fall brings better weather to hike the dunes. If visiting during the summer, plan to hike early in the morning or at night as the sand on the dunes can get very hot.
Trekker Tip: Be prepared to get sand everywhere: in your socks and shoes, in your hair, on your face, etc.
When we visited, the sand was nice and cool in the morning which made for great hiking weather. As it started getting later in the morning, the sun heated up the sand rather quickly and it become fairly hot to the touch. To take breaks on the dunes, we simply moved the top layer of sand to reveal cooler sand layers below, which was more comfortable to sit on and relax.
Coming down the sand dunes, we chose to run down to make for a faster return. Our hiking shoes would sink into the sand however, so we’d run for a bit, stop, empty out our shoes which were completely filled with sand, and started running down again.
Sandboarding and Sand Sledding
A great activity for all ages is to go sandboarding or sand sledding on the dunes. If you’re hesitant on sliding down the mountain or have smaller kids, sand sledding may be your preferred option. Start by going down one of the smaller dunes to get in some practice before coming down some of the larger and steeper dunes. There will be more people sliding down the closest dunes, so if you want to go to a less populated area, plan to walk for 30 minutes+ to get to some of the dunes further from the parking lot.
Chances are you don’t have your own sandboard or sand sled, so there are several places nearby to rent them. Snow sleds, snow boards, cardboard, and soft plastic items do not work well on the dunes, so do not plan to use those. Places you can rent gear from in town include:
Oasis Store is 4 miles from the Visitor Center
SpinDrift SandBoard Rentals is 25 miles away from the Visitor Center
Sand Dunes Recreation is 32 miles away from the Visitor Center
Kristi Mountain Sports is 40 miles away from the Visitor Center
Spanish Peak Outfitters is 64 miles away from the Visitor Center
Trekker Tip: There are no rentals available from the Visitor Center, and some of the retailers you can rent gear from are a 45 minute drive away, so plan to rent gear before arriving at the park.
Medano Creek
Medano Creek is a a popular place for all ages of visitors to splash in and cool off in the heat. The creek typically flows from the spring until early summer and dries up by late June.
When the creek is flowing, you will have to cross the creek to access the dunefield. The water can be fairly cold to cross in the morning, but warms up by early afternoon and becomes a great temperature to play around in.
Trekker Tip: This is great pace to bring lawn chairs, hang out by the creek, and enjoy a picnic lunch. It’s not too far from the parking lot, so I’d recommend to spend the morning on the dunes before they start to warm up, drop off any gear you used on the dunes, then pickup your swimming and picnic gear and hang out by the creek.
Things to do Nearby
Zapata Falls
Distance: 1.0 mile roundtrip
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: 215 ft
Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
Location: ~13 mile drive south of the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center. Takes 30-40 minutes to drive to.
Visit a beautiful 30 ft waterfall that is tucked into a canyon.
You will have to drive along a gravel road to reach the trailhead parking lot. From the trailhead, you’ll hike a rocky trail, and then hike in the river to get to the falls. During the summer months, you can also swim in the area around the falls.
San Luis State Wildlife Area
Location: ~15 mile drive southwest of the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center. Takes 20 minutes to drive to.
This former state park offers views of the San Luis Lake and valley, the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The park offers hiking, biking, camping, fishing, boating, water-skiing, and hunting.
Where to Stay
Lodging in Great Sand Dunes National Park:
There is no lodging within the park.
There is one campground in the park: Piñon Flats Campground.
You can also camp out under the stars by obtaining a backcountry permit from the Visitor Center to camp out on the dunes.
Lodging in Alamosa:
Most lodging is in Alamosa which is about a 35 mile drive southwest of the park and takes about 45 minutes to get to.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Alamosa
Fairfield Inn & Suites Alamosa
Camping at San Luis State Wildlife Area:
Reservations are no longer accepted at San Luis State Wildlife Area and camping is on a walk-in (first come, first served) only basis.
Campgrounds are located near the water with views of the San Luis Lake and valley, the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
We camped here when we visited and had a great time walking along the water, seeing various birds, and enjoying the views of the San Luis Valley.
Where to Eat
Oasis Restaurant and Store, located at the main entrance of the park, is the only restaurant within 25 miles of the national park. It is open April through October and offers burgers, sandwiches, and burritos.
Calvillo's in Alamosa offers a variety of Mexican food.
Locavores is located in Alamosa and offers salads, sandwiches, wraps, local beer, and wine.
The Rubi Slipper in Alamosa is an American eatery that has burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and chicken tenders.
What to Pack
Good hiking socks that you’re ok getting a little sandy.
Hiking boots that cover your ankles are necessary to keep the sand out as much as possible.
Keep your hands free while having space for your sunscreen, water, extra layers, quick dry towel, and more.
Is a must as the dunes get very hot and sunny and offer no shade.
Stay hydrated while you’re hiking in the hot sun.
Dry off while relaxing Medano Creek.
A roll-up hat you can pack in your day bag to keep cool in the hot Great Sand Dune sun.
Useful to keep sand off of your face.
The dunes can be reflective, so protect your eyes with quality sunglasses.
