In South Central Colorado, USA, there lies at the eastern most edge of San Luis Valley along the western areas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Being established as a national monument during the 1930s, this highest inland sand dune in the United States covers 150,000 acres of region that rises to over 750 feet. In 2004, it became a National Park after much land acquisition was created into the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve four years earlier, which made the monument proclaimed by the United States Congress.

Through the Natural Building Process

Over the ages, the dunes are formed through sand deposits coming from the Rio Grande and other tributaries that flow to the San Luis Valley. Thereafter, the westerly winds of the area carried over the sand particles from the river flood, making the sands to go across the Sangre de Cristo Range where they are also deposited on the east edge. As the winding process continues, there came the growth of greater sand dunes, carrying variety of shapes through the strong forces of nature everyday. Fortunately, it became one of the automatic sources of engagement to people visiting the virgin places, making them love the sands more due to its moist and dry surfaces perfect for building sand castles. Also, what makes the Park more interesting is the range of animal and plant species that are surrounded by rich forests, tundra and alpine lakes that hang at over 13,000 feet or 3,940 meters in height with large stands of aspen and cottonwood, ancient spruce and pine trees, definitely providing a diverse habitat for most species of wildlife.

However, getting to the dunes may also require muscle efforts while trying to cross the wide and shallow Medano Creek just beside the Great Sand Dunes National Park, which only flows during the seasons of early summer and spring. Though hiking is permitted, careful handling to the sands is also needed because it can heat up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit or 60 degrees Celsius and ironically, much freezes also during winter.

One Breathtaking Neighborhood

The National Park is surrounded by its closest cities that require few hours’ drive including the Alamosa that is driven through ways to Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Denver, Albuquerque and New Mexico, all at great service to the Park. Moreover, this previous monument was then purchased around sections of the ranch that has bordered the Park on west and north sides plus 14,165 feet or 4,317 meters in the Kit Carson Mountain and at the subpeak Challenger Point with over 14,080 feet above the water drainages to the south edges. Presently, these sections are divided into three, that created parts in Sangre de Cristo Mountains then to the Rio Grande National Forest and another area that is good for hunting purposes, mostly done at the Rio Grande.

Then again, there are lots of pretty sand deserts in Arizona and California but there is nothing like the sands of Great Sand Dunes National Park because they won’t totally believe the sight of the edge of snow-covered mountains plus the ever-changing formations of the golden sand dunes at the same time covering an area of 7×5 miles. At this point, its Valley would not only be considered the tallest but also having the longest stretches of straight roads in the United States between Monte Vista and Saguache mile sections covering a record of 35 miles.

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