10 Best Things to Do in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
From an expansive 30-square-mile (78-square-km) dune field to pristine alpine lakes and towering peaks that rise to an elevation of 13,347 ft. (4,068 m), Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of the most uniquely diverse National Parks in the country!
That said, most who visit Great Sand Dunes National Park for the first time come for the dune field—and for good reason—as it’s one of those places that brings out the child in everyone!
However, beyond the sand dunes, there are a number of other amazing adventures that I highly recommend checking out, which can and should be influenced by the time of year you plan to visit.
All this aside, I believe that Great Sand Dunes National Park is best experienced over a multi-day visit, as opposed to only visiting for one day to explore the dunes, and I largely say this because of sunset.
Yes, Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the best National Parks in the country to watch the sunset from a variety of viewpoints, including numerous spots within the dune field and beyond, which is why I believe that if you only visit for one day, you’re missing out on some of the best the park has to offer!
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park?
The answer to the question is very easy: fall!
Now, I don’t write this to discourage visiting at other times of the year because snow on the sand dunes is truly something special to see! However, fall is the best time of the year because the dune field is the safest to visit, the upper elevations should be snow-free, and there are a variety of amazing trails in the park that make for great places to see the Aspens change colors!
This is all to say that visiting Great Sand Dunes for the dune field in the summer is not only a bad idea, but it’s irresponsible because of how dangerous the sun, heat, and temperatures on the sand can get! The National Park Service even reports that the surface temperature of the sand can reach 150° F (66° C), even though daytime highs only average 75–80° F (24–27° C).
It’s for all these reasons that I believe fall—specifically the last week of September and the first week of October—is the best all-around choice, considering the park is less crowded at this time of year, most elevations should be snow-free, and the sand dunes are safe to enjoy following their summer extremes!
Hiking Checklist - Great Sand Dunes
Obviously, for camping, you will need general backpacking gear. For this reason, I wrote a separate post about what backpacking gear is worth the money, from my experience, and what the best alternatives are to save you money.
Read My Separate Post: Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear
In addition, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
10 Best Things to Do in Great Sand Dunes National Park
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst.
However, I highly recommend reading through the safety section at the end of this article, as some adventures are only best during certain times of the year, due to the park’s notorious extreme weather conditions.
On a different note, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
1. High Dune Trail
Distance (One Way): 1.5 miles / 2.4 km
The High Dune is the go-to adventure that most first-time visitors hike in Great Sand Dunes National Park, as it’s the tallest—meaning the most prominent sand dune—that you can see when driving into the park or looking at the dune field from the visitor center.
That said, the High Dune Trail may seem fairly self-explanatory, but all too often, visitors make the adventure much more difficult and cardio-intensive than it needs to be by not following the best route.
Yes, even in sand dunes, there is one best trail to follow, as the dunes don’t change shape, contrary to what you might think.
For these reasons, I highly recommend following the most straightforward route that I have outlined in my separate post, unless you’re interested in hiking to both the High and Star Dune. If so, only recommend reading my Star Dune article mentioned below, as it contains the same information to hike to the High Dune as the post linked here.
Read My Separate Post: High Dune Trail
2. Star Dune Trail
Distance (High Dune & Medano Creek Loop): 7.5 miles / 12.1 km
In an ever-changing landscape, the Star Dune is in constant contest with the Hidden Dune, not only for the title of the tallest sand dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park, but in all of North America!
That said, the Star Dune Trail is one of the most beautiful, yet remote, adventures within the 30-square-mile (78-square-km) dune field, which is why I only recommend hiking this far out to those who feel that they are very directionally aware.
At any rate, the Star Dune Trail could easily be treated as an out-and-back adventure by way of the High Dune or Medano Creek, but I highly recommend creating a loop with both, as shown in my separate article.
By hiking this way, you essentially maximize all the effort put in to make it into the dune field, by not treating this and the High Dune mentioned above as two separate adventures.
Read My Separate Post: Star Dune Trail
3. Hidden Dune Trail
Distance (Roundtrip): 4.6 miles / 7.4 km
Between the three most popular named dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park, the Hidden Dune is the most remote of the three!
It is for this reason that only a small fraction of park visitors make the trek to the remote Hidden Dune compared to the High Dune and Star Dune mentioned above.
That said, the Hidden Dune can be a great way to escape the vast majority of crowds found in some of the busier areas within the park, but to get there, I highly recommend following the route outlined in my separate article.
I say this because I made my own mistakes when I first visited, but the directions I’ve outlined follow the most efficient path, in order to minimize effort when hiking in this challenging landscape!
Read My Separate Post: Hidden Dune Trail
4. Dunes Backcountry (Overnight Camping)
Distance: +1.5 miles / 2.4 km
The 30-square-mile (78-square-km) dune field that makes up much of Great Sand Dunes National Park is the most popular area of the park for backcountry camping, which the National Park Service defines as anywhere west of the High Ridge, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) or more into the dune field.
With that in mind, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) or more may not sound like much hiking, but it is incredibly more difficult with a heavy pack than hiking on solid ground. This is why I only recommend backpacking in the dune field for the fittest hikers, following either the High Dune or Sand Pit Trail to access the backcountry.
Before going, know that backcountry permits are required, and they are no longer available for free at the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center, as they were in years past. Rather, they must be reserved on Recreation.gov prior to visiting the park.
Book Here: Great Sand Dunes Backcountry Permits
5. Sand Pit Trail
Distance: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km
The Sand Pit Trail is my favorite alternative route to hike into the dune field compared to the much more popular and much busier Medano Creek Trailhead, where the High Dune and Star Dune Trails begin.
I say this because only a fraction of park visitors know that it’s possible to drive the first 1.1 miles (1.8 km) on the Medano Pass Primitive Road without a high-clearance 4WD vehicle to get to the Sand Pit Trailhead, meaning that this area of Great Sand Dunes National Park feels like a hidden gem in comparison to others!
This is all to say, I highly recommend making your way down to the Point of No Return, hiking the Sand Pit Trail with a sled, and enjoying some of the least-crowded dunes that the park has to offer!
Read My Separate Post: Sand Pit Trail
6. Dunes Overlook Trail
Distance: 2.0 miles / 3.2 km
The Dunes Overlook Trail a short, easy, and beautiful day hike just outside of the dune field that I believe is the best day hike in the front country of Great Sand Dunes National Park to see the dune field from above!
On top of this, the Lower Dunes Overlook is my personal favorite of the two main viewpoints to catch the sunset of any outside of the dune field, which I encourage you to learn more about in my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Dunes Overlook Trail
7. Sledding on the Sand Dunes
From the Wellingtons and Heralds, who settled this land in the late 1800s and early 1900s, playing around and sledding in the sand dunes has been a pastime for more than a century!
Today, this tradition continues, as many people who visit Great Sand Dunes come to sled in dune field from the Medano Creek Trailhead, just past the visitor center.
This is because visitors have easy access to the base of the dune field, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from the trailhead, or there is the option to hike as far as the High Dune on the First Ridge to sled off some of the bigger hills from the top!
Google Maps Directions: Medano Creek Trailhead
8. Sand Sheet Loop Trail
Distance: 0.4 miles / 0.6 km
The Sand Sheet Loop Trail is one of my top recommendations when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park, either before or after hiking in the dune field.
I say this because the Sand Sheet Loop is the best day hike in Great Sand Dunes to learn about the park and answer questions such as: Why did the sand dunes form here, or where did the sand come from?
That said, the Sand Sheet Loop Trail begins at the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center, which is why I believe it can be a great first stop when entering the park or a quick and easy adventure before heading out.
Read My Separate Post: Sand Sheet Loop Trail
9. Piñon Flats Campground
The Piñon Flats Campground is the best and only drive-up campground in Great Sand Dunes National Park that can be reached without a 4WD vehicle.
By this, I mean that there are other, much more remote campsites off the Medano Pass Primitive Road. However, beyond the Point of No Return, located about 1.1 miles (1.8 km) past Piñon Flats, a high-clearance 4x4 is required.
With that in mind, Piñon Flats is the best campground to stay inside the park, as it’s conveniently located near the vast majority of the best things to see and do in and around the dune field, making it one of my top recommendations when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park!
Book Here: Piñon Flats Campground
No information is collected by this website when using the Recreation.gov booking widget, and all reservations made here are secure through the official website.
10. Montville Nature Loop Trail
Distance: 0.5 miles / 0.8 km
The Montville Nature Loop Trail, at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, is a great kid-friendly interpretive trail to explore and learn about the park outside of the dune field.
Additionally, the Montville Nature Loop is a popular day hike if you happen to be visiting during the hotter summer months, as the heat in the sand dunes is nothing to take lightly during this time of year.
For these reasons, I highly recommend considering the Montville Trail and possibly extending the hike up Mosca Pass or along the Wellington Ditch Trail to Piñon Flats, depending on what your group is up for!
Read My Separate Post: Montville Nature Loop Trail
10 Best Things to Do Near Great Sand Dunes National Park
As far away as Great Sand Dunes National Park is from Denver and Colorado Springs, there is seemingly an endless amount of adventures within just a few minutes’ drive or even a few hours of the park!
This is why I highly recommend extending your trip beyond Great Sand Dunes National Park to include some of the adventures listed here, depending on the direction you’re planning to drive before or after visiting the park.
1. Blanca Peak
Distance (One Way via Lake Como): 3.0 miles / 4.8 km
Blanca Peak is the closest 14er to Great Sand Dunes National Park, and among all 58 of the 14,000-ft. (4,267 m) summits, it’s the fourth-highest peak in Colorado!
That said, Blanca Peak is not for the faint of heart, as the distance listed above is deceptively short.
This is because the true distance depends entirely on what kind of vehicle you have to drive up Lake Como Road, the challenging 4WD access road that leads to the true trailhead at Lake Como. Therefore, Blanca Peak can be as short as 6.0 miles (9.7 km) roundtrip, or much longer, depending on how much of the 8.6-mile (13.8 km) access road you can realistically drive.
To learn more about the climb, including the long trek up Lake Como Road, I highly encourage you to check out my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Blanca Peak Trail
2. Ice Lake & Columbine Lake Trail
Distance (Ice Lake): 8.8 miles / 14.1 km
Distance (Columbine Lake): 8.3 miles / 13.4 km
The Ice Lake Trail and Columbine Lake Trail are two stunning day hikes in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado that, in my opinion, are two of the most beautiful alpine lakes of any across the Mountain West!
This is why I could not recommend going out of the way to visit either of these stunning alpine lakes more, as the turquoise-blue waters of both lakes are truly worth the detour—not to mention, there are a number of other amazing adventures off the Million Dollar Highway to consider across the San Juan Mountain Range!
Read My Separate Posts: Ice Lake Trail / Columbine Lake Trail
My Print - Columbine Lake Trail
3. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is often visited on a single roadtrip with Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, as the two are only a three-hour, 35 minute drive from one another.
I mention this because, if you enjoyed my thoughts and personal experiences from Great Sand Dunes National Park, I highly encourage you to explore my top recommendations for Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where you’ll find numerous amazing adventures on both the popular South Rim, as well as much less popular North Rim.
Read My Separate Post: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
4. Zapata Falls Trail
Distance: 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
Located just 12.3 miles (19.8 km) south of the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center, Zapata Falls is the most popular day hike outside of Great Sand Dunes National Park!
That said, the short 0.8-mile (1.3 km) roundtrip distance is a poor indicator of the trail’s overall difficulty, as Zapata Falls is located at the very end of a narrow gorge, which almost always requires wading in the ice-cold stream to see!
For this reason, I highly recommend checking out the final section in my separate post, as many visitors get close but don’t finish the trail because they aren’t aware of what it takes to actually reach Zapata Falls.
Read My Separate Post: Zapata Falls Trail
5. Thai House
Whenever I’m on the road, I love to find hidden gems that are different from typical American food, and Thai House in Alamosa, just outside of Great Sand Dunes, is one of my favorites to dine at over a multi-day visit to the park!
Yelp: Thai House
6. Million Dollar Highway (U.S. Route 550)
The Million Dollar Highway is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in all of North America, standing alongside others like the Beartooth Highway, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Icefields Parkway!
The 70.5-mile (113 km) highway connecting Ouray to Durango is most famous for an incredibly narrow, windy 23.4-mile (37.7 km) stretch between Ouray and Silverton, where the Ice Lake and Columbine Lake Trails are located.
That said, the entire drive through the heart of the San Juan Mountains is one of the best things to do when visiting the southwestern part of Colorado—especially when the Aspens begin to change color in the fall!
Google Maps Directions: Million Dollar Highway
7. Calvillo’s Mexican Restaurant
Calvillo’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Alamosa is my favorite Mexican restaurant near Great Sand Dunes National Park!
I recommend stopping in when you’re looking for a great, filling meal after spending all day in the dunes or before a big day, like the climb up Blanca Peak!
8. San Juan Adventure Tours
Whether you’re visiting the Southwest during the warmer summer months or for the world-class skiing come winter, there are a number of year-round guided tours in the San Juan Mountains near Black Canyon of the Gunnison that are worth considering!
Some of the most notable include the renowned Telluride Via Ferrata, which is truly a one-of-a-kind experience in the fall, or the Ouray Ice Park, where visitors without any knowledge or skills in the sport can learn the basics with some of the amazing local guides!
9. Arches & Canyonlands National Park
In this part of the country, everything can feel spaced out from one another, but Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the parks in Moab are two places that make for a great roadtrip when put together!
This is why, if you enjoyed reading everything I’ve written about Great Sand Dunes, I recommend checking out my separate articles about both Arches and Canyonlands National Park, where I share the same inside information about everything there is to see and do on all sides of each park.
Read My Separate Posts: Arches National Park / Canyonlands National Park
10. Shop Small Business National Park Gear
A few of my good friends based right outside of Zion National Park design their own National Park gear inspired by parks around the country!
In fact, my camera strap, made by my friends at WildTree, has been the longest-standing camera strap I’ve owned.
I mention all this because, if you want to take home something to remember your trip to the Great Sand Dunes, I encourage you to check them out over any of the overpriced souvenirs in or near Great Sand Dunes National Park!
Shop: WildTree
5 Things to Know Before Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park
1. Spend more than one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
It’s fairly uncommon for first-time visitors to visit Medano and Music Pass on the far northern and eastern ends of Great Sand Dunes National Park. However, as for the things to do off Highway 150 in the main part of the park, there is more than enough to see and do beyond just visiting the Medano Creek Trailhead to walk into the dune field.
That said, Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the best parks in the country to catch the sunset, which I recommend from not one, but a number of different places, including the High Dune and the Dunes Overlook Trail, to name a few.
For this reason, I highly recommend visiting for at least two, if not three nights in order to take it slow and enjoy the best of all the things to do in and around the park!
2. Thunderstorms are exceptionally dangerous in the Great Sand Dunes National Park!
It’s widely known that being outside during a thunderstorm is very dangerous, but in sand dunes here and elsewhere, you will almost always be the tallest object around, making them particularly dangerous here over other environments.
This is why it’s extremely important to know the forecast before setting off on any adventure and to know that during the spring, summer, and fall months, thunderstorms can and do show up without warning!
I have personally been caught off guard during a thunderstorm in a dune field, and to date, it is still the worst thunderstorm incident I’ve ever experienced. Take this warning seriously!
3. Bring sunglasses and wear a hooded sun shirt.
The sun exposure in the dune field and throughout the upper elevations of Great Sand Dunes National Park is nothing to take lightly!
If you plan on spending a few hours hiking around the dunes, sunscreen alone is not enough protection, which is why I recommend a quality hooded sun shirt and good sunglasses to protect your eyes from the harsh reflection off the brightly colored sand.
4. Choose your camera lens before entering the dune field.
This one obviously applies only to photographers, but sand dunes, here and elsewhere, are the last place that you want to be switching lenses, as the blowing sand can easily cause permanent damage to your camera.
For this reason, think ahead about what type of shot you are looking to capture before hiking in!
5. Only part of Medano Pass Primitive Road can be driven without a 4x4 vehicle.
When the road is snow-free, the first 1.1 miles (1.8 km) of Medano Pass Primitive Road can be driven without a high-clearance vehicle.
I mention this because the Sand Pit Trail, as previously mentioned, is one of the best access trails to reach the dune field, and it is not nearly as busy as the Medano Creek Trailhead to the High Dune and the Star Dune.
Google Maps Directions: Point of No Return
