We had the pleasure of visiting the Great Sand Dunes National Park the second week of June.  I’ll be honest – we didn’t have high hopes for it.  We just expected to look at some sand, take some photos, and head out.

Boy, were we wrong.

Great Sand Dunes National Park is located near Mosca, Colorado – about 2.5 hours from Colorado Springs and 3.5 hours from Denver.  When you arrive at the dunes, you see sand hills for miles with a beautiful landscape background of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range.

And here are a few things you should know for your visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. 👇

1. THE DUNES

The park has over 30 sq. miles of dune field that visitors are able to explore.  There are no trails in the dunes, just hiking as you wish through the sand.  Many folks were sledding down the dunes, sandboarding, or spending time in the Medano Creek at the base of the dunes.

We spent probably around 2-3 hours hiking up and down various dunes.  We snagged pictures of the amazing views of sand for miles with a beautiful mountain backdrop.

2. WEAR HIKING BOOTS!

Yes, there’s sand.  And yes, there’s some streams at the base of the dunes.  But this is by no means a beach.  Do not wear flip flops, sandals, or attempt barefoot.  I recommend hiking boots over tennis shoes – for the durability of the sand.

3. ARRIVE EARLY.

I ALWAYS say this.  But the earlier the better.  Although there are MILES of dunes to explore, I recommend getting there early for a couple of reasons.

• Avoids crowds.  We got up the mountain early-ish and there was hardly anyone up there with us.  But once we were heading out in the early afternoon – there were so many people on the way down.  Better for pictures, better for space & taking your time up the dune.  If you get there earlier, you can also get a parking spot.
• Weather.  Colorado weather / mountain weather can sometime be unpredictable.  It was beautiful and sunny with big white clouds on our hike.  But we were on our way down the dunes, and we could see the clouds rolling in.  By the time we left the park, we saw dark clouds over the dunes with storms rolling in.

4. BRING WATER.

As for any hike, always bring water.  Some of the dunes can be difficult to climb, so staying hydrated is key.

5. DUNES-ACCESSIBLE WHEELCHAIR.

Something really great that the Great Sand Dunes offers visitors is a dunes-accessible wheelchair for visitors who may need assistance up the dunes.  This is a free amenity for guests, and you can reserve them for your visit.  You will need a strong person to push the chair through the sand.  More information can be found here.

6. TRAILS.

Although we only hiked on the sand dunes, there are forested trails available in Great Sand Dunes National Park.  On AllTrails, it lists 28 trail options.  Most notably, the National Park Service mentioned Montville Nature Trail, Mosca Pass Trail, and the Sand Ramp Trail.

Those are my tips!  If you go, send me a message & I’d love to hear about your experience, as well.

Thank you for reading. 💛