Great Sand Dunes National Park
Mosca, Colorado
On the eastern side of the remote, high-mountain
San Luis Valley, between the Blanca Massif and Crestone Needle, are
the
Great Sand Dunes, the tallest sand dunes in North
America. The dunes cover approximately 39 square miles and rise to
almost 750' above the valley floor.
The dunes are the product of the
wind and rain eroding the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains
that ring the San Luis Valley. They have collected here because the
prevailing winds across the valley blow in this direction and meet
winds blowing in the opposite direction. The sand drops to the
valley floor and is held in place by water flowing from the Sangre
de Cristo's. So over the course of millennia, the dunes have built
up to where they are today. And tomorrow they will be different
because the wind still blows, the sand still moves and the deposits
of sand still grow.
The dunes are like continually changing sculptures. Overall,
they maintain a remarkably stable form because they are so moist
throughout (from the rain and snow). But the surface layers of sand
dry and flow with the wind in ever-changing patterns.
Great Sand Dunes National Monument became
Great Sand
Dunes National Park and Preserve on September 13, 2004, when
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton signed a declaration making
this America's 58th National Park. The Great Sand Dunes National
Park and Preserve Act of 2000 mandated the purchase of the
97,000-acre Baca Ranch to create the National Park, the Baca
National Wildlife Refuge and to make significant additions to the
Rio Grande National Forest. This acquisition occurred through the
cooperation of a consortium of private, state and federal partners,
including major assistance from the Nature Conservancy. Part of the
103,000-acre Zapata-Medano Ranch (owned and operated by the Nature
Conservancy) is included in the National Park and the Baca National
Wildlife Refuge.
Hiking to the top of the High Dune is a popular endeavor. Though
it is not the tallest dune, it appears that way from the visitor
center. This hike is not done on a trail; the hiker zigzags up the
sandy dune for a 650 foot gain. Though the hike is not easy, the
view from the top of the dune is worth the effort.
The Visitor Center is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Memorial Day
to Labor Day. Hours vary the rest of the year.
<"http://home.comcast.net/%7Ebpvideo/SANDDUNES.MOV">Panoramic
Movie of the Dunes