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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve– an Introduction
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve of Colorado is one of the unique USA national parks. This national park in U.S is located in the eastern edge of the Alamosa county and the Saguache county of Colorado. The U.S national park is also been designated as the national monument of the country. Some of the tallest sand dunes of North America could be seen the park. These dunes are mainly created by the sand accumulated by the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Along with the dunes, the park also includes the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains.
Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
It is great to spend some serene moments amidst the dunes surrounded by mountains and marked wilderness. A visit to the park will give you the exciting opportunity to enjoy the virgin beauty of the nature to the fullest. One can indulge in so many activities and this enhances the free spirit of the individual. One can play different games in the Medano Creek or build a sand castle, slide down the dunes, go for bird watching in the wetlands, or ascend a peak. It is sure that these outdoor recreation activities will fill up your mind with immense happiness. There are other activities too, such as exploring the park by means of hiking and backpacking trips and horseback riding. Sand boarding, skiing and sledding are also great fun on sand.
Camping: There are several pleasant and well established camp grounds in the Great sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. They are in total about 88. The Pinyon Flats Campground happens to be the most sought after one. It is located at a distance of about 1 mile to the north of the Visitor Center. There are fire grate and picnic table in the site. Some of the camp sites are sheltered under the shade of large cottonwood or conifer trees and some are favorably open with small pinyon trees. Most of the campsites accommodate about 6 people, two tents and two cars.
Guided Tours: One can very well indulge in several guided tours of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The ranger led tour of the park is indeed a nice option. The bison tour and the open air vehicle tours along the Medano pass Primitive road are some of the commercial tours offered in the park.
Opening Hours
Visitor Center:
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, during winter. The building remains closed during federal holidays. During spring and fall, it is generally open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Only if the staff permits then one can stay longer. During summer the hours are extended from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is open 24 hours daily, round the year.
How to Reach
Air: Denver happens to be the major airport in nearness to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and preserve. It is about 150 miles away from the park. The nearest airport is although, Alamosa’s Airport, which offers commuter service to Denver provided by the Great Lakes Airlines.
Road: There is limited road accessibility to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The easy way to it is a route via a side road running from Colorado SR 17. It lies between Poncha Passto the northern end of Sangres and the Alamosa town to the south. One can also access the route via US 160.
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