Great Sand Dunes Sandboarding Excursion

I spent an afternoon here with my kitty! I got there too late to rent a board so we just walked around the dunes a bit and I did a hike on the other side of the road, which was a very different perspective of the park. I definitely recommend it! I was there in mid-October and the fall colors were beautiful, which I wasn’t expecting!

One of the must visit places with great view… 1. The sand dunes are huge and surrounded by mountains almost all the sides. It’s a great view for taking a lot of pictures. 2. You can do hikes on sand dunes which is not dangerous but lot of effort to take the peak but absolutely worth it because of the best Mountain View’s from the top of the peaks. 3. You can do camping here as well. 4. IMPORTANT: There will be a river/water flow of ankle length only once a year due to melting ice on the mountain which goes on the side of these sand dunes. It’s absolutely amazing to spend time here during that time. You can play in the water, do camping in the water as well (the water level changes based on ice melting, so be careful). We went around June first week to experience it. Plan during this time and you will have wonderful experience. 5. You can bring food and play tools like volleyball which is also good if you have lot of friends or family members as large group. 6. Check weather before you go.

Such a cool, unique place! The dunes and surrounding mountains are truly a sight to see. Everywhere you turn is picture worthy. We visited in the beginning of June and the weather/temperature were perfect. The main parking area fills up fast, so it’s a good idea to get there early. You will need to cross over water to get to the dunes – I recommend bringing waterproof footwear or just taking your shoes off for that part. Depending on the season, it can be a little difficult. Definitely pack a towel to dry off. A lot of people actually come here just to hang out in the “river” area. Hiking up the dunes is not easy and can be very steep, but you certainly get some rewarding views. There’s no set paths here, just roam around and witness the beauty! I also recommend renting a sandboard for some extra fun. FYI, you have to rent them outside of the park.

VISIT the National Parks! We didn’t even know this existed in Colorado. Like I said in previous reviews, all the National Parks have their own uniqueness and Great Sand Dunes didn’t disappoint! There are picnic areas, lots of parking and a small gift shop with an explanation of the dunes. Get the National Park Pass if you plan on visiting more than one park in a year. Make sure you wear shoes, the sand gets hot. I didn’t make it all the way to the top but even where I stood I had a great view. Zoom in to some of my photos to see the people at the top. I believe you can rent sand sleds before you enter the park, which looked like a lot of fun. There are different trails you can do throughout the park that take you by the stream as well. All and all it is a must see! PS don’t forget to bring some water!

The day we passed through and made a quick stop here, was unfortunately quite windy with rain blowing off and on horizontally. We did visit the visitor center which is definitely worth it, but otherwise was not able to do much other than view mostly from our truck windows. We had hoped to picnic there for lunch as they had many places to choose from, and the views would have been great. Lots of trails to hike as well, but again, it was just nasty out. We only saw 2 people venture out of their vehicle to trek out to the dunes themselves. A reason for a return visit, I guess!