If you want to visit sand dunes in Colorado, you are in the right place! I created this guide to have the best things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park that should be on your bucket list.

Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the most beautiful and unique areas in Colorado, and its landscape is not found anywhere else in the state, including the tallest dunes in North America!

Great Sand Dunes became a national park in 2004 and has since drawn over half a million visitors each year. People from all over the world travel to Colorado to climb and experience the beautiful dunes.

The best part about Great Sand Dunes National Park is that it has something for everyone! You can view the dunes from accessible overlooks, hike to the tallest dunes, and sled down the dunes.

I created this guide to have everything you need to know to visit, including the best things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park! Get your cameras ready for an incredible adventure!

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Tips for Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park

One of the best things about Great Sand Dunes National Park is that it has fun activities for everyone to enjoy! You can enjoy the beautiful views from overlooks, hike to the top of the dunes, sled down them, or stargaze. It truly has something for everyone.

We only visited for one day, but I felt it was plenty of time to do everything on our itinerary. It was the perfect amount of time to hike the dunes and enjoy the breathtaking views.

Here are a few things you should know before visiting:

Get acclimated to the elevation. If you are not used to high elevation, you may get altitude sickness in Colorado. If you want to hike, I recommend taking it slow and packing plenty of water and snacks.
Medano Creek is at the base of the dunes, and you have to walk through it to get to them. Most of the year, the creek is easy to pass, and you can take off your hiking boots to cross it. When the creek is low, the mosquitoes are a nuisance, but once you walk away from the water, they tend to disperse.
The dunes are not easy to climb, and the trails are not marked. I was surprised by how strenuous it was to hike up the dunes! It looked easy, but trust me, it was not. You will also see people hiking along different paths on the dunes because the trails are not marked. We tried to follow the trail map to get to High Dune but could not find it, so we followed the trail with the most people.
Start your days early. Colorado is known for its afternoon thunderstorms, and trust me, you do not want to get stuck on the dunes in one. I recommend starting your day early to hike in cooler temperatures and avoid getting caught in a thunderstorm. We always like starting our day early to avoid the midday crowds, too.
Pack layers and sunscreen. Mountain weather is unpredictable, and we experienced some crazy weather when we were in the park. The day we were in the park started sunny before quickly turning into thunderstorms. You should have hiking boots, moisture-wicking clothes, and a hiking backpack with food and plenty of water. Most of Great Sand Dunes National Park has little to no shade, so I recommend wearing sunscreen and reapplying as needed.
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 away your trash. If they do not have trash bins, you can throw away your trash in a barrel at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

Planning Your Visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park

When You Should Visit

The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park is late spring and early fall. May, June, September, and October tend to have the best weather for exploring and hiking the dunes. The campgrounds and visitor center are only open until October, though.

Summer is a popular time to visit, but the dunes are VERY hot, especially midday. When we visited in June, the sand was already really hot to the touch.

Because summer is the most popular time to visit, the park experiences the most crowds, and the entrance stations will have long wait times. I recommend arriving early in the morning to get in before most people.

Also, I recommend exploring the dunes in the morning to avoid the midday high temperatures and afternoon thunderstorms. Colorado is known for its thunderstorms, and they are no joke! We were finishing up a hike on the dunes when we saw one quickly rolling in.

Winter is the least popular time to visit because it is snowy and cold, but the snow-covered dunes are beautiful! You can enjoy cross-country skiing and sledding on the dunes after it snows.

If you visit in the winter, the afternoon is the best time to explore the park because it will be the warmest part of the day.

Where to Fly Into

The biggest and most convenient airport to fly into is Denver International Airport, although it is just under a four-hour drive to the park.

You can also fly into Colorado Springs Airport, a three-hour drive, or San Luis Valley Regional Airport, a 45-minute drive, but both airports are much smaller and will likely require a layover.

The Denver International Airport will also have the most rental cars. We flew into Denver because we were visiting a few areas in Colorado during our road trip, and it was the easiest place to catch a flight.

Where You Should Stay

If you are lucky, you may find accommodations right outside the park entrance. 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 a nearby town 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.

We only stayed near Great Sand Dunes National Park for one night, so Alamosa was the best option for us. It is not a huge town, but it has everything you need for a quick trip.

Hotels Near Great Sand Dunes National Park:

Campgrounds Near Great Sand Dunes National Park:

high dune - best things to do in great sand dunes national park

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What to See and Do at Great Sand Dunes National Park

As I mentioned, Great Sand Dunes National Park has something for everyone, and you have a few ways to enjoy the views.

One of the best ways to explore the park is by hiking the dunes, which is hard but fun! And the views are spectacular.

If you do not want to hike, you can enjoy accessible overlooks, easy walking paths, sledding, sandboarding, stargazing, and exploring Medano Pass Primitive Road.

I included some of my favorite things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park, so you can pick what you want to see when you visit!

Hike to High Dune

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! Although you can enjoy beautiful views of the dunes from the parking lot, I think the best are at the top of the dunes, and High Dune has some of the best.

The 3-mile trail travels up the dunes to the top of High Dune, and although the hike is not overly long, it is strenuous! Walking on dunes is not easy, and it took us longer than we anticipated, but it was worth the effort for the stunning views of the surrounding dunes and mountains.

Once you are at the top of High Dune, you can explore other nearby dunes or sled down if you rented one. Sand sledding is a much more fun (and easy) way to get down the dunes than hiking!

Also, expect your shoes to be filled with sand once you are done hiking. My hiking boots were very full of sand at the end!

hiking guide to high dune

hiking in great sand dunes national park itinerary

hiking in great sand dunes national park

Hike to Star Dune (the tallest dune in North America!)

Star Dune is the tallest sand dune in North America, standing over 740 feet, and offers beautiful views of the park and mountains.

You can 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, 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 and quickly see why it is one of the best things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park! I mean, how cool is it to say you hiked to the tallest dune in North America?!

Walk the Montville Nature Trail

Not all hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park are to the top of the dunes! 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 of Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is a great trail to see the vastness of the park without the strenuous hike on the dunes.

Because it is a quick and easy hike, it is a great addition to any Great Sand Dunes National Park itinerary!

Go Sandboarding and Sledding

Instead of hiking back from the dunes, why not enjoy a fun way to get down?! Or, if you do not want to walk to the top of the tallest dunes, you can hike to smaller ones and sandboard or sled down.

Sandboarding and sledding are some of the most popular activities in Great Sand Dunes National Park because what is better than sliding down beautiful dunes?!

Although you cannot rent them in the park, plenty of places nearby have rentals. I recommend getting your rentals before you head into Great Sand Dunes National Park.

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

dunes in great sand dunes national park itinerary

Relax Near Medano Creek

After a hot hike or sledding adventure, a great way to cool down is soaking in Medano Creek. Although the creek does not get high enough to swim, you can enjoy sitting in the shallow water to cool down.

You could even set up some chairs near Medano Creek and enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the water. Many people enjoy spending time in the creek, especially on hot summer days.

We loved soaking our feet in the water after hiking the dunes. And it was a great way to get the sand off our feet because trust me, there was a lot!

medano creek in great sand dunes national park

Go Stargazing

Because the closest city to Great Sand Dunes National Park is half an hour away, the park has minimal light pollution, making it one of the best places to stargaze. If you are lucky to have a clear night when you visit, I highly recommend going into the park at night to enjoy the stars.

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

If you plan to stargaze from the dunes, make sure to have an offline map, illumination, and warm layers.

Explore Zapata Falls

Technically, Zapata Falls is not in Great Sand Dunes National Park, but it is one of the best things to do nearby!

The beautiful 30-foot waterfall is hidden in a crevasse on a 1-mile trail, making it one of the most unique features near the park. Although the hike is short, you have to wade through the ice-cold river and hop over slippery rocks. Once you reach the end of the trail, you can see the entire falls between the carved rock.

And the best part? It is not too far from the park entrance, so you can easily add it to your Great Sand Dunes National Park itinerary!

Drive Medano Pass Primitive Road

If you are up for a fun adventure and have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, a drive on the scenic 11-mile Medano Pass Primitive Road may be the perfect thing to do!

But let me tell you, it is not for the faint of heart. This road is incredibly challenging with mud, river crossings, and soft sand, and is only open from late May to November. If you want to drive it, it requires a lot of planning.

The National Park Service does a great job of updating road conditions and providing recommendations for spots you should not drive past during certain months. If you want to enjoy the drive, I recommend contacting the visitor center for up-to-date information on road conditions. And they can help make sure you are prepared for the journey!

Great Sand Dunes National Park FAQs

How Long Do You Need in Great Sand Dunes National Park?

I recommend spending at least 1-2 days in Great Sand Dunes National Park.

If you only want to explore the dunes, a day is plenty of time. If you plan to hike nearby strenuous trails or drive Medano Pass Primitive Road, you will need a few more days.

We spent one day in the park, and it was the perfect amount of time to see the highlights.

What Are Must-See Things in Great Sand Dunes National Park?

You can hike to the tallest dunes in North America, sand sled or sandboard down them, explore nature trails, and stargaze, all within Great Sand Dunes National Park!

Below are a few things I recommend adding to your itinerary:

High Dune or Star Dune (or both!)
Sand sledding or sandboarding
Montville Nature Trail
Medano Creek
Stargazing

When is the Best Time to Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park?

The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park is late spring and early fall. Spring and fall tend to have the best weather for exploring and hiking the dunes.

Summer is a popular time to visit, but the dunes are VERY hot, especially midday. When we visited in June, the sand was already really hot to the touch.

Also, I recommend exploring the dunes in the morning to avoid the midday high temperatures and afternoon thunderstorms. Colorado is known for its thunderstorms, and they are no joke! We were finishing up a hike on the dunes when we saw one quickly rolling in.

Can You Hike On the Dunes?

Yes, you can hike on the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park! It is one of my favorite things to do, and something I recommend everyone do.

The two best hikes are to High Dune and Star Dune. You can also hike them together for a long, strenuous hike.

One thing we did not realize when we visited was how tough it would be to hike on the dunes! The sand is slippery, making it hard to find traction, and it gets into your shoes very easily. I recommend taking your time and packing plenty of food and water to fuel you for the hike.

If you do not want to hike on the dunes, you can enjoy the views from various viewpoints, at Medano Creek, or along the Montville Nature Trail. These are easily accessible and provide beautiful views of the dunes.

Do You Need a 4WD Vehicle at Great Sand Dunes National Park?

Unless you want to drive on Medano Pass Primitive Road, you do not need a 4WD vehicle in Great Sand Dunes National Park.

If Medano Pass Primitive Road is on your itinerary, you must have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle to explore the scenic 11-mile road.

To drive it, you must plan ahead because it can have anything from mud and soft sand to river crossings.

The National Park Service does a great job of updating road conditions and providing recommendations when some spots are not passable.

If you want to enjoy the drive, I recommend contacting the visitor center for up-to-date information on road conditions. They can help make sure you are prepared for the journey!

If you want to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park, this guide is the perfect place to start planning. I included everything you need to know about the best things to do and tips for making your trip incredible!