We spent the afternoon at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We had some debate on what we should do there, mostly because the thought of hiking through loose sand sounded exhausting. For those that do not know, the park is home to the tallest sand dune in North America, roughly 750 feet tall. Much of the park is accessible via a high clearance 4WD vehicle, something that we did not have on our visit. That left our experience to the popular sand dunes near the visitor center. All that being said, here is what we recommend doing when visiting the park.
1. Rent a Sled!
If you are visiting this park with any children, no matter how old, be sure to stop at the campground just before the park entrance and rent a sled. We did not do this, and we kind of regret it. Many of the visitors to the park were hiking up the sand dunes and sledding (or sand boarding) back to the bottom. All of the folks with sleds looked like they were having a blast! It may be for the best to not bring a sled with you if you plan on hiking up the high dune, carrying something while you are climbing up loose sand can be difficult.
2. Hike the Star Dune
There are two sand dune hikes recommended, neither of which have established trails because the trek is in loose sand. The first is the high dune, the hike recommended by the park for those with a family. It is the closer of the tall dunes, and at 699 feet is nearly as tall as the tallest dune. If you want to enjoy a more unique experience, hike the 755 ft star dune. The hike up is exhausting due to the loose sand. Some sections of the dune are steep, forcing you to either crawl up or walk on an angle rather than straight up. While the hike is difficult, the views are rewarding, the the experience is unique! How many people can say they hiked up the tallest sand dune in North America?
3. Wear Shoes
While it may be inviting to walk in the sand wearing sandals or bare feet, the park highly discourages this. The surface of the sand can reach temperatures of 140F, so wear closed toed shoes and keep an eye on your pets paws!