The Tallest Sand Dunes in North America Have a Seasonal ‘Seaside’—What to Know

Positioned in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park & Protect is residence to North America’s tallest sand dunes. These dunes, which rise abruptly from the shadow of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, are shaped by the interaction of winds funneling by way of mountain passes and the continued recycling of sand by way of wind. Whereas the star sights, Hidden Dune and Star Dune, tower roughly 750 ft above the valley ground, one of many park’s extraordinary options is Medano Creek, a seasonal stream that emerges in spring and early summer season.

Fed by snowmelt, Medano Creek—known as Colorado’s Pure seaside—flows on the dunes’ base, making a shallow, inland beach-like playground the place guests can splash, float on tubes, and construct sandcastles. The circulate usually begins in late April and peaks by early June, with water depths reaching ankle to calf stage—typically round 20 inches—earlier than drying out throughout mid-summer.

Guests flock to the dunes when the creek is in bloom in addition to for exhilarating actions resembling sandboarding, sledding, and dune mountain climbing. It’s price noting that, on heat days, sand floor temps can soar to 150 levels, so mountain climbing footwear or socks are a should.

One of the best time to go to the park is in spring and early summer season, when daytime temperatures are gentle and Medano Creek flows with cool, refreshing water. Because the park is designated an Worldwide Darkish Sky Park, the dunes additionally supply remarkably clear night time skies for stargazing.

Earlier than planning your go to, make sure you test the real-time circulate of Medano Creek, out there from spring by way of fall, by way of an internet graph that tracks the creek’s quantity in cubic ft per second (cfs). Whereas the information is collected about 5 miles upstream from the primary Dunes Parking Space, it presents a helpful snapshot of present situations and whether or not water ranges are rising or falling. This 12 months, circulate ranges aren’t anticipated to high 20 cfs, which is a reminder to plan your go to accordingly.

The park is well-equipped for guests, with dune-rover wheelchairs, handy dune showers, and the Piñon Flats Campground. Households can take part in a wide range of applications, together with the Nationwide Park Service’s Junior Ranger program and Household Archaeology Days.

For a singular place to remain close to the dunes, take into account Dunes Desert Camp. This eco-luxury glamping website has simply two spacious safari tents, providing a non-public and immersive expertise in nature. Friends can go for customizable meals and actions by way of the camp’s Dune Experiences program. For a extra conventional keep, Nice Sand Dunes Lodge gives a wide range of normal room sorts, in addition to campers and geodesic domes.