How to Spend One Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park

We all know Colorado has huge snow-capped mountains, but did you know it also has the tallest sand dunes in North America? Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the most beautiful areas in Colorado because its landscape is not found anywhere else in the state! Its sand dunes sit at the base of snow-capped mountains, making it incredibly scenic.

Although you could spend a few days exploring the national park, you can see the must-see attractions in one day! You can spend your day hiking the dunes, cooling down in Medano Creek, and sandboarding or sand sledding. This guide has everything you need to know about how to spend one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, my blog may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Tips for Spending One Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Get acclimated to the elevation. If you are not used to high elevation, you may get altitude sickness when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park. If you want to hike, I recommend taking it slow to ensure you get used to the altitude and pack plenty of water and snacks.
Rent your sandboard or sand sled before you enter the park. If you want to sandboard or sand sled in Great Sand Dunes National Park, I recommend renting them before you enter the park. Plenty of places nearby offer rentals!
Start your day in the park early. Since you only have one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park, I recommend starting your day early to have the most time to explore. Getting into the park in the morning will also help have minimal wait times at the park entrance. Most people arrive at the park at midday, and the park entrance lines can become long as the day goes on.
Medano Creek is at the base of the sand dunes, and you have to walk through it to get to the dunes. Most of the year, the creek is easy to pass, and you can take off your hiking boots to cross it. Also, when Medano Creek has low water, it has a lot of mosquitos. But once you walk away from the water, they tend to disperse.
The sand dunes are not easy to climb, and they do not offer any shade for hiking. Make sure to pack enough food and water for your hike, and take your time hiking up the dunes. Also, because you are at a higher elevation and closer to the sun, it is easy to get a sunburn. Great Sand Dunes National Park also has minimal shade. Make sure to apply plenty of sunscreen before heading out to adventure.
The hiking trails are not marked. You will likely see people hiking along different paths on the sand dunes. We tried to follow the trail map to get to High Dune and could not find it. We followed the trail with the most people and finally got on the right path once at the top near High Dune.
Expect crowds. Great Sand Dunes National Park draws over a half-million visitors each year, so there is also a high chance there will be lines at the park entrance stations. Getting to the park entrances early in the morning will help lower the wait times.
Be flexible. There will likely be crowds on the trails and overlooks, and I recommend making your itinerary flexible since there may be times you cannot find parking.
Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they do not have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

Where to Stay Near Great Sand Dunes National Park

If you are staying a night after your one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park, you can either stay right outside the park or in Alamosa. A few resorts are near the park entrance and offer fun accommodations. If those are not available or you are looking for something else, you can stay in Alamosa.

Alamosa is the closest town with accommodations and one of the best places to stay because of its proximity to the park. It does not have many accommodations, but there are a few hotels you can stay in for the night.

Best Places to Stay Near Great Sand Dunes National Park:

What to Pack for One Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.

best things to do in great sand dunes national park

The Perfect One Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park Itinerary

Since you only have one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park, I recommend getting into the park in the early morning to give yourself more time to explore. The morning also has fewer people in the park!

High Dune

I recommend starting your one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park by exploring the sand dunes! If you are up for a sunrise hike, this is also the perfect place to watch the sunrise over the mountains. Although you can enjoy beautiful views of the dunes from the parking lot, I think the best are at the top of the sand dunes.

Since the park has minimal shade, hiking the dunes in the morning will help you enjoy them without the hot midday temperatures. The morning also typically has fewer people, allowing you to enjoy the dunes with fewer crowds. Hiking the dunes will also take most of your morning, so starting your day early allows you to enjoy other activities after your hike.

High Dune is one of the most hiked dunes in the park, and you will quickly fall in love with the views from the top! The 3-mile trail travels up the sand dunes to the top of High Dune, and although the hike is not overly long, it is strenuous!

It is not easy to walk on sand dunes, and it took us longer than we anticipated, but it was worth the effort for the stunning views of the surrounding sand dunes and mountains. Also, the hiking trails are not marked, so you will likely see people hiking up different dunes to the top. We just followed the path with the most people until we reached the top of High Dune.

Once you are at the top of High Dune, you can explore other nearby dunes and continue to hike to Star Dune (we will talk about this next) if you want to enjoy a longer trail. If you do not want to hike further, you can either hike back down or sand sled down if you rented a sled!

hiking guide to high dune

Star Dune

If you are up for a longer hike, you can either loop Star Dune with High Dune or skip High Dune and only hike to Star Dune. Star Dune is the tallest sand dune in North America, standing at over 740 feet, and offers beautiful views of the park and mountains.

You can either hike only to Star Dune for an 8-mile trail or loop it with High Dune for an 8-mile trail. The loop with High Dune has a lot of elevation loss and gain in between the dunes, so if you would rather avoid that, you can hike directly to Star Dune.

But the hike with Star Dune and High Dune is more scenic if you are up for the strenuous trail. Either way, you will love the views from the top overlooking the surrounding dunes and mountains!

Dune Sandboarding and Sand Sledding

Instead of hiking back from the dunes, why not enjoy a fun way to get down?! Or you can hike to smaller ones and sandboard or sand sled down if you do not want to walk to the top of the tallest sand dunes. Sandboarding and sand sledding are some of the most popular activities in Great Sand Dunes National Park because what is better than sliding down beautiful dunes?!

Once in the park, you will see a handful of areas people typically go to sandboard or sand sled, although you can pretty much go anywhere. We saw people fly down some long and steep dunes while others enjoyed a more gradual dune.

Note: As mentioned earlier, you must pick up your rentals before you enter Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Medano Creek

After a hot hike or sand sledding adventure, soaking in Medano Creek is a great way to cool down, especially in the hot summer. Although the creek does not get high enough to swim, you can enjoy sitting in the shallow water to cool down. If you are traveling with kids, they will love playing in Medano Creek! You can even set up some chairs near Medano Creek and enjoy a relaxing afternoon splashing in the water. It is like a beach day in the park!

Montville Nature Trail

If you want to enjoy another hike during your one day in the park, you can hike the Montville Nature Trail. If you want to avoid hiking on the dunes, you can enjoy views overlooking them from the Montville Nature Trail.

This 0.5-mile trail is easy to follow and offers breathtaking views overlooking Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is a great trail to see the dunes without the strenuous hike on the dunes. It is a quick and easy hike to enjoy the park from a different perspective. The Montville Nature Trail is also a great place to watch the sunset!

Stargaze

If you are spending the night near Great Sand Dunes National Park, you can head back into the park at night to enjoy stargazing! Because the closest city is over a half-hour away, the park has barely any light population, making it a great place to stargaze.

And the best part? You do not have to hike to see the stars. One of the best places to stargaze is near Medano Creek by the parking lot, and if you want to photograph the stars, this is an incredible spot to capture the dunes, mountains, and stars.

If you are up for an adventure and have the proper hiking gear, you could hike to the top of the sand dunes to look at the stars. Stargazing is one of the best ways to end an incredible one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park!

If you want to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park, this guide is the perfect place to start planning your trip! It has everything you need to know about how to spend the best one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park.