Great Sand Dunes National Park Visitors Guide
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Welcome to the Great Sand Dunes National Park Visitors Information Page.
Here you will find general visitors information on regulations about bringing dogs to the park, wheelchair access, entrance fees, visitor centers, and reservations.
You will also learn what outdoor activities are available such as hiking, biking, camping, and fishing.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is open 24 hours a day, all year. In winter, the Visitor Center hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except for federal holidays, when the building is closed. In spring and fall, the Visitor Center is generally open 9-5; longer hours may exist as staffing permits. Summer hours at the Visitor Center are generally 9-6. Call ahead at (719)378-6399 for specific hours on the days you plan to visit.
Entrance fees are $3 per adult (age 16 and older). Entrance fees are valid for one week from date of purchase. Children are free at all times.
Pets may go anywhere outdoors in the park and preserve, as long as they are kept on leashes at all times to protect wildlife and respect other visitors. Cleaning up after pets is required. Pet safety: Summer sand can blister paws; extreme dune heat (it’s much hotter closer to the surface of the sand) can cause heat exhaustion or stroke. Pets left in vehicles without adequate ventilation can succumb to suffocation. Rolling the windows down a little does not provide adequate ventilation. When the outside temperature is 85°F the temperature in the vehicle can climb to 120°F in 30 minutes!
Things to do:
Visitors to the park can enjoy a variety of attractions, both while hiking or checking out the visitor center.
- Explor the changing terrain, desert to forest to tundra
- Head into the sand dunes to search for animal and insect tracks
- Play in the cooling waters of Medano Creek during wet years
- Peek at the informative exhibits or 20 minute film at the visitors center
- Attend a terrace talk or nature walk during summer months
- Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy awesome views of the dunes from the picnic area
- Hike the Montville Nature Trail, a ½ mile jaunt beginning at the Mosca Pass Trailhead Parking Area
- At night, wander the dunes in search of giant sand treader camel crickets or kangaroo rats
- During the day, watch for coyotes, mule deer, pronghorn, ground squirrels, and chipmunks
- Consider a walk on the dunes around sunset; what better way to watch the closing of the day than from a dune ridge line?
- Hike the Mosca Pass trail, which winds up Mosca Canyon and the national preserve
- On a hot summer day, hike to nearby Zapata Falls
- Camp in the Piñon Flats Campground, and attend a summer evening program at the amphitheater
- Camp overnight in the dunes or backpack to a forested site near the dunes
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