Great Sand Dunes National Park

Summary
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park located in Alamosa County and Saguache County, Colorado. Originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was created by an act of the United States Congress on September 13, 2004. The park contains approximately 85,000 acres.

Information
The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising about 750 feet (230 m) from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, covering about 19,000 acres (77 km²). They are perhaps 12,000 years old.

The dunes were slowly formed from sand deposits of the Rio Grande and its tributaries over thousands of years. Westerly winds picked up the sand particles and they flew over the Rocky Mountains from the flood plain. When the wind lost energy as it slowed down before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. This pattern has been observed and continues to this day. The dunes are slowly growing by the wind that daily changes the shape. There are also areas of black sand which are deposits of magnetite, a crystal-based black oxide of iron.

If you dig a few inches below the dunes you'll find it reveals wet sand. You see if the streams were dried up, the entire dunes would disappear. This is why the park was named a National Park to protect the water that forms part of the dunes.

This is the newest national park in the United States. To call and ask for more information, dial +1 (719) 378-6300. They'll be able to provide you with information on hours of operation, directions, etc.

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