Did you know that sand dunes didn’t need to be near an ocean? Discover the tallest sand dunes in North America at Great Sand Dunes National Park. This unique Colorado national park is an amazing place for hiking, sandboarding, camping, and admiring the night skies.
This unique national park protects about 30 square miles of sand dunes, which are located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The area is also home to the tallest dune in North America at about 750 feet high. The dunes were formed from the right combination of sediment, wind and water. There was a lot of sediment in the valley, and opposing winds next to the mountains helped form these massive dunes.
Great Sand Dunes became a national park in 2004. Before that, it was established as a national monument in 1932. Indigenous people have lived in the area for over 11,000 years, and many consider the dunes a sacred place. Today, 18 tribes are affiliated with the park, and share their traditional knowledge and culture in the protection of this special place.
In this guide, I share all about the best things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park, including hiking trails, sandboarding and sledding, a stunning waterfall nearby, and more. This is based on my experience visiting Great Sand Dunes in September 2023.
Things To Know about Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park
- As is true with any national park, make sure to leave no trace. That includes packing out all of your trash, never feeding wildlife, and respecting those around you.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park charges a fee of $25 per vehicle to visit. If you’ll be visiting multiple national parks over the course of a year, you can save a lot of money with the America the Beautiful Pass.
- This national park is dog-friendly! Dogs are allowed in the main use area of the dune, but not in other areas. Be sure to check the boundaries before bringing your pup.
How to Get to Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is located in Southern Colorado. It’s about 4 hours south of Denver, and 4 hours north of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Here are the most common airport options if you’ll be flying in:
- Denver International Airport, 4 hours away, has the most flights
- Albuquerque International Airport, 4 hours away
- Colorado Springs Airport, 2.5 hours away
- Pueblo Airport, 2 hours away, has a limited number of flights, only to Denver
If you haven’t spent much time in Colorado, I recommend flying into Denver and combining your trip with time in Colorado Springs, Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, or countless other places in the Colorado Front Range.
When to Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park
The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes tends to be in the late spring or fall. Summer brings high heat, and the surface of the sand can be extremely hot. However, summer is the best time to explore the higher altitude areas of the park. Winter can bring cold weather and snow covering the dunes (although this looks beautiful!).
The very best time to visit is late May to early June, as this is when you’re most likely to see Medano Creek. This is a creek that flows through the dunes, creating a natural beach. Plus, this time of year tends to bring mild weather for hiking.
Fall is a nice time for mild, cool weather, and fewer crowds. Personally, I visited in the fall and had great weather and conditions.
The Best Things To Do in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Hiking in the Dunes
If you enjoy hiking, you’ll want to spend some time hiking on the sand dunes that make this park so famous. You have a few different options for the most popular sand dune trails in the park.
There are no actual trails in the dunefield, you’re welcome to explore where you please. But there are a couple dunes that are the most popular to climb.
It’s best to wear hiking boots and long pants while you’re hiking in the dunes. This will help keep sand out of your shoes. Sandals are not recommended, as it can cause chafing.
The most common hike up the dunes is High Dune, and this is what I did. While it isn’t the highest dune in the park, it looks that way from the parking lot.
The AllTrails route for High Dune is 3-miles round trip with 629 feet of elevation gain, but you can pick your own adventure. The national park service site says that it’s closer to 2.5 miles, but I measured over 3 miles. Be prepared to spend a few hours hiking, and bring plenty of water. Hiking up steep sand can be challenging, especially if you’re not used to the altitude.
I thought that hiking to the top was definitely worth it. From the top, you can see a far distance and admire a large expanse of the dunefield. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth the climb!
The other most popular dune hikes are Star Dune and Hidden Dune. While Star Dune was previously said to be the tallest dune in North America, the national park service website now says the highest dune is Hidden Dune. The dunes' heights can change over time due to wind patterns.
The hike to Star Dune is about 6-7 miles, and the hike to Hidden Dune is about 7 miles.
Sledding + Sandboarding in Great Sand Dunes
Sandboarding or sand sledding is easily one of the best things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park! The national park does not rent boards or sleds, so you’ll need to rent them outside of the park.
I rented from the Great Dunes Oasis Store, which is the closest place to rent the boards to the park (4 miles away). They rent both the sleds and boards for $20 per day. Make sure to get some wax too - this can be a huge help.
Other places to rent your boards are Dune Valley Distillery, Spin Drift Sandboards, and Kristi Mountain Sports. As of this writing, they all charge the same price of $20 per day, but some have more flexible options of return times, which is helpful since they are further from the park.
Once you’ve acquired your sled or board, it’s time to head out to the dunes! Keep in mind that you’ll need to climb up the hill each time - that’s all part of the experience. The higher and steeper the hill, the better the ride down will be.
Personally, I struggled a bit to get the right speed while sledding. (I didn’t even want to try sand boarding, but my husband did!) Maybe it’s just me, but I was always going way too fast or way too slow, and had a few tumbles (imagine me doing a full-on summersault off the sled when I’ve almost reached the bottom). Overall, I think my lack of sand sledding abilities is a me-problem, and I’m sure you’ll do much better. Either way, it’s a fun experience!
Pro Tip: If you’re like me and you’re struggling to steer or go the right speed while sledding, lean back and drag your hands in the sand to help steer.
Enjoy Colorado’s Beach
This is a seasonal experience, but with the right conditions, you can enjoy a beach day in Great Sand Dunes. Medano Creek flows through the sand in the spring, and it isn’t far from the main parking area on a good year. It's a place to enjoy tubing, swimming, sand castle building, and more. Any non-motorized activity is fair game.
Medano Creek is typically at its best in late May and early June. This is when you have a chance to experience the “surge flow,” where waves are flowing across the sand. However, the amount of water really depends on the amount of snow from the previous winter.
In the winter of 2025-2026, Colorado received very little snow, so there was very little water in Medano Creek. During the peak time, water never reached the main parking area, but visitors could hike a mile to see a bit of water.
Pro Tip: Check the current conditions of Medano Creek before heading out. You can check the cubic feet per second up-to-the-minute, and find out if it’s a good time to experience Colorado’s sandy beach.
If you’re lucky enough to have good conditions and visit at the right time, make sure to bring sun protection, do not disturb living plants or animals, and do your best to keep the water clean. It’s an amazing phenomenon that I hope to experience in the future!
Hike Beyond the Dunes
While the sand dunes are the star of this park, there are other trail options too. Especially on a summer visit, a forested trail is a great place to escape the afternoon sun.
The Montville Nature Trail is a great easy option. The trail is a half mile and has a great view of the dunes and Mt. Herard.
For a longer trek, check out the Mosca Trail, which follows along a creek and has many aspen trees.
See below for more trails that can be reached via a 4WD primitive road.
Explore the Higher Elevations of the Great Sand Dunes
With a 4WD vehicle, you can reach more remote areas of this park. If you want to venture into this part of the park, it’s important to be prepared. The road Medano Pass Primitive Road has creek crossings and areas of deep sand. Only 4-wheel drive high-clearance vehicles with a 4L transfer case setting are permitted on this road.
One trail option is the hike to Medano Lake, which is 8.4 miles round trip. Other options that are further on the primitive road include Music Pass and Sand Creek Lakes.
Don’t have a 4WD vehicle? There are companies that rent Jeeps and/or offer Jeep tours. Check out the list on the national park website.
Hike to Zapata Falls
Zapata Falls is outside of the national park, but it’s very close by. The trailhead is about 20 minutes from the main area of Great Sand Dunes, located on BLM land.
After driving up a big hill, a short hike (less than a mile round trip) leads to a unique waterfall tucked into a canyon. However, this trail might involve getting wet. Conditions can vary a lot based on current water levels, but the trail typically requires water crossings and wading into the water at the end to get a good view.
If the water is lower, you might be able to hop between rocks the whole time, but be prepared for slippery rocks. It can be a lot easier to just get your feet wet.
Pro Tip: Be prepared to get your feet wet if you want to see the entire waterfall, and keep in mind that the water can be quite cold and fast moving.
Admire the Night Skies
Great Sand Dunes National Park is certified as an International Dark Sky Park, making it an amazing place to admire the night skies.
The national park has tons of tips for night sky viewing on their website.
Tips for night sky viewing include:
- Wait 1.5 hours after sunset, and 1.5 hours before sunrise
- Use only a red light
- If you’re heading out into the dunes, note the direction so that you can find your way back to the parking lot
- Visit on a moonless night for the best chances at seeing the Milky Way
Backpacking in Great Sand Dunes
Backpacking into the dunes is an amazing way to experience the night skies and the remote nature of this unique park. A permit is required for backpacking and backcountry camping, and can be purchased on recreation.gov.
Backpackers have a few options, but the most popular option is to hike out into the Dunes Backcountry. You are only allowed to camp past the Day Use Area, making the minimum hike about 1.5 miles. If this is something you’re considering, make sure to read all of the rules and regulations carefully, and keep this park beautiful.
Where to Stay when Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park
Camping in Great Sand Dunes National Park
There is one campground near the day use area of the dunes, the Piñon Flats Campground. All sites are by reservation only, and reservations can be made up to 3 months in advance. If this campground is full, there are others nearby. The Oasis Campground and Zapata Falls Campground are two of the closest.
Hotels near Great Sand Dunes National Park
You have a decent amount of hotel options that aren’t far from the national park. There are a few hotels within 20 miles of the park, such as the Great Sand Dunes Lodge, the Oasis Duplex Motel or the Rustic Rook Resort.
Personally, I stayed in the town of Alamosa, which is 40 minutes from the park. Alamosa has several hotel options, along with lots of restaurants and other amenities. I stayed at the Sunset Inn, which was basic but nice. There are several chain options as well, including a Best Western, a Holiday Inn, and more.
Things To Do Nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Visit a hot spring! I went to Sand Dunes Recreation, which has hot spring pools inside of a greenhouse. There are other nearby hot springs as well.
- Visit the UFO Watchtower.
- Visit Bishop Castle, a giant castle built by a local resident (climb to the top at your own risk!).
- If you’ll be passing through Colorado Springs, visit Garden of the Gods, Pike’s Peak, Ivywild School, or Cave of the Winds.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide helps you plan an amazing trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park! From hiking up the dunes to sledding down a sandy hill, this unique park has something for everyone. This is an epic park to include on a Colorado road trip.
For more Colorado travel guides, check out my other blog posts:
- How to Spend 2 Days in Rocky Mountain National Park
- A Guide to Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park in the Spring
- How to Spend 2 Days in Mesa Verde National Park
- How to Spend a Weekend in Denver, CO
- The Best Things To Do in Boulder, CO
- How to Spend One Day in Colorado Springs
- The Best Things To Do in Silverthorne, CO
- The Best Hikes in Fort Collins, CO
Thanks for Reading!
Let's stay in touch!
Join the Lost with Lydia email list to get monthly travel guides and tips!
