Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [233]
Picnic & Camping Supplies
In addition to the snacks available at the cafe and gift shop in the park, you can find take-out food, ice, and packaged liquor at T&D's Country Store, Restaurant & Bar in Baker (see "Where to Dine," above). The Border Inn, along U.S. 50/6 at the Nevada-Utah border (see "Where to Stay," above), has a small convenience store.
19
GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE
by Don & Barbara Laine
HERE IN SOUTHERN COLORADO, FAR FROM ANY SEA OR EVEN A MAJOR desert, is a startling sight—a huge expanse of sand, piled nearly 750 feet high. The towering dunes, the tallest on the continent, seem incongruous here, out of place in a land best known for the aptly named Rocky Mountains. But here they are, some 30 square miles of light brown sand dunes, restlessly grasping at the western edge of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. (Sangre de Cristo is Spanish for "Blood of Christ"; the name comes from the deep red reflected onto the snowcapped mountains by the setting sun.)
The dunes were created over thousands of years by southwesterly winds blowing across the San Luis Valley. They were formed when streams of water from melting glaciers carried rocks, gravel, and silt down from the mountains. Accumulating on the valley floor, the sand was picked up by the wind and carried toward the mountains.
Even today, the winds are changing the face of the dunes. So-called "reversing winds" from the mountains pile the dunes back upon themselves, building them higher and higher. Though it's physically impossible for sand to be piled steeper than 34 degrees, the dunes often appear more sheer because of deceptive shadows and colors that change with the light: gold, pink, tan, sometimes even bluish.
Great Sand Dunes became a national monument in 1932, but in recent years concerns over the possible effects on the dunes and their ecosystem from water usage in the surrounding area have increased. In 2000, Congress passed a law approving park status pending the acquisition of "sufficient land having a sufficient diversity of resources." The necessary property was acquired with the help of the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, and on September 13, 2004, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior arrived at Great Sand Dunes to publicly announce the designation of Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Avoiding the Crowds. Overcrowding has not been a major problem at Great Sand Dunes. In recent years, the park has received fewer than 300,000 visitors annually, compared to more than three million at Rocky Mountain National Park, just a half-day's drive north. But national park status and the additional acreage and attractions are expected to produce an increase in visitation (at least that's what area motel and restaurant owners are hoping for). Therefore, we suggest that you try to visit at times other than school vacations and holiday weekends. Early fall can be especially pleasant here. Memorial Day weekend is particularly busy, with limited parking and traffic congestion. If you do happen to visit on a busy day, a hike along Sand Ramp Trail (see "Day Hikes," below) usually gets you away from the crowds.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
From Alamosa, two main routes lead to Great Sand Dunes. Go east 14 miles on U.S. 160, then north on Colo. 150; or drive north 14 miles on Colo. 17 to Mosca, then east on Six Mile Lane to the junction of Colo. 150.
The Nearest Airports. The Alamosa San Luis Valley Regional/Bergman Field Airport, 2500 State St. (☎ 719/589-6444), 3 miles off U.S. 285 South, has service to and from Denver on Great Lakes Airlines. Car rentals are available at the airport