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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Colorado >> Great Sand Dunes National Park – Colorado tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Great Sand Dunes National Park – Colorado

Images of Great Sand Dunes National Park – middle Colorado, taken in July 2016.

Shaped by the combination of prevailing winds from the southwest, storm winds off of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and added assistance from two creek systems combine to tell the story of the creation of North America’s tallest dunes which are protected in Great Sand Dunes National Park.

The vast dune field includes two dunes over 699 feet tall and is one of the few places in the world where one can see “surge flow” on a stream. Surge flow occurs when water flows over sand and small sand dams are created on the creek bed holding the water until the pressure gets too great and the dam breaks releasing the water in a wave. This event is more pronounced in the spring and early summer but I was still able to see a scaled down version in Medano Creek during my visit (see image #2, second to the last row).

Depending on the time of day and weather conditions the dunes can take on a different appearance from moment to moment. Sunrise, sunset, cloudy, windy, wet, dry; the way the light strikes the dunes reveal interesting views as the shadows crawl across the sand.

I hiked several trails with the most demanding being the hike to the summit of the second tallest dune in the park, High Dune. Normally a 2.5 mile hike with an elevation gain of 699 feet would be considered a moderate hike at best. However take your basic beach sand and build a 699 foot dune and you add another level of difficulty that will challenge even the most experienced hikers…of which I am not one. The hike was grueling and I was certainly happy that I started early in the morning before the heat of the day could compound the struggle. You couldn’t go straight up the thing so the idea was to follow a set of progressively higher dune ridges until you attained the summit. Walking along the ridgelines was exponentially easier; unfortunately you had to scramble your way onto each ridge. Either way you had to climb 699 feet of sand, the ridges just gave you time to recuperate a bit before the next ascent. My climbing technique was to take twenty steps and stop to catch my breath…or what was left of it…then take twenty more and repeat until I made it to the top. The reward was an incredible 360 degree view of the entire dune field, and the knowledge that it was truly “all downhill from here”!
The Dunes at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Dunes at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Early morning sunlight on Star Dune (755 ft.) in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Early morning sunlight on Star Dune (755 ft.) in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes in front of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes in front of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Afternoon sun on the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Afternoon sun on the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Star Dune (755 ft.) in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Star Dune (755 ft.) in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Close up of the great sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Close up of the great sand dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Late afternoon sun on a buck in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Late afternoon sun on a buck in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Evening shadows fall across the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Evening shadows fall across the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Wind blows the sand just before sunset in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Wind blows the sand just before sunset in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Star Dune before sunset in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Star Dune before sunset in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Fading sunlight reflected off of the dunes and the clouds in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Fading sunlight reflected off of the dunes and the clouds in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sunset over Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sunset over Great Sand Dunes National Park
Cloud cover casts a shadow over Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Cloud cover casts a shadow over Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Clouds slide over the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Clouds slide over the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Blowing sand during a wind storm in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Blowing sand during a wind storm in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Wet dunes after an afternoon shower in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Wet dunes after an afternoon shower in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Early morning light on Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Early morning light on Star Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sunrise on the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sunrise on the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A deer in front of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A deer in front of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Medano Creek flows around the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Medano Creek flows around the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dune ridgeline on the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dune ridgeline on the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View into the valley along the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View into the valley along the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dunes viewed while hiking to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dunes viewed while hiking to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View during the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View during the hike to High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View of the dunes below the summit of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View of the dunes below the summit of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A Ten Line Beetle at the crest of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A Ten Line Beetle at the crest of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Lone visitor views the dune field from the peak of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Lone visitor views the dune field from the peak of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Endemic Circus Beetle on the peak of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Endemic Circus Beetle on the peak of High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View of the dune field and Sangre de Cristo Mountains from High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View of the dune field and Sangre de Cristo Mountains from High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sangre de Cristo Mountains beyond the dune field as seen from High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sangre de Cristo Mountains beyond the dune field as seen from High Dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dunes and Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Dunes and Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
View along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Insect along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Insect along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sangre de Cristo Mountains as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sangre de Cristo Mountains as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Grasshopper along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Grasshopper along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand dunes along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand dunes along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A hiker on the dunes as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
A hiker on the dunes as seen from the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Surge Flow in Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Surge Flow in Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Visitors on horseback ride on the dunes near Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Visitors on horseback ride on the dunes near Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Horseback riders in Medano Creek along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Horseback riders in Medano Creek along the Sand Pit Trail in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the Visitor Center in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the Visitor Center in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Cactus flowers in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Cactus flowers in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Caterpillar in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Caterpillar in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Close up of High Dune from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Close up of High Dune from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The Great Sand Dunes from the park road in Great Sand Dunes National Park