Backpacking Campsites in the Dunes or Forest

• Reserve national park backpacking permits through recreation.gov in advance up to the first day of your trip. Camping in the national preserve requires a free permit from the visitor center only if you are starting your trip in the national park.
• The most popular and unique backpacking option is camping in the 30-square-mile dunefield, beyond the major dune ridgeline (about 1.5 mile hike minimum over dunes). Enjoy wide open views of the starry sky or a bright moonlit night. Designated sites are also available in the trees of the foothills, or camping is available in higher forests of Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Reserve national park backpacking permits for the dunes or foothills through recreation.gov

Medano Pass Primitive Road Campsites

• No reservations - sites are first-come, first-served
• Roadside camping is permitted at 21 campsites in Great Sand Dunes National Preserve beginning 5.2 miles from where the road begins near Piñon Flats Campground. These designated sites are free of charge and first-come, first-served. All 21 sites fill on summer weekends. Passable only in the warmer months and only with high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles. This road crosses areas of deep sand, traverses Medano Creek nine times, and passes through excellent habitat for bighorn sheep.

Piñon Flats Campground

• All sites are by reservation only through recreation.gov 1-877-444-6777
• Piñon Flats is a National Park Service campground located one mile north of the Visitor Center, open April through October. All sites are by reservation on recreation.gov .

Hidden Dune

Hidden Dune is one of the two tallest dunes in North America, located in a remote part of the dunefield of Great Sand Dunes.

• From Dunes Parking, walk through cottonwood trees and willow bushes to the edge of the sand. Medano Creek flows here during the snowmelt of spring, in surge flow waves reaching up to 20 inches (51 cm) at peak flow. Most of the flow season the creek is more shallow and easy to wade through. In summer, fall, and winter, the creek bed is normally dry. Beyond the flat creek bed is the first high ridge of dunes, stretching from the valley floor at left to 13,297 foot (4,053 m) Mount Herard at right. You will hike on the tops of ridges to Hidden Dune, with the vast dunefield surrounding you.

High Dune on First Ridge

The most popular to climb of the tall dunes at Great Sand Dunes

• From the Dunes Parking Area, there is a high ridge of dunes beyond the flat area of Medano Creek's seasonal flow. The High Dune on First Ridge is the highest point on that ridge. As you ascend curving ridges toward the top, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are on the right, snow-capped for much of the year. On the left is the vast San Luis Valley and distant, rounded San Juan Mountains. From the top of High Dune on First Ridge, 30 square miles (78 km) of the dunefield stretch out before you.

Medano Creek

Medano Creek is a popular seasonal stream enjoyed by all ages.

• From the Dunes Parking Area, you go through trees to a wide, flat, sandy creek bed. From April through June, there is usually water present. At peak flow, the water flows down in waves. People of all ages are playing in the water. To the right is a snow-capped mountain, ahead is a tall ridge of dunes, and to the left is a wide valley with distant mountains.

Medano Pass

Medano Pass was likely the historic route used by Zebulon Pike in January 1807 as he led an expedition to explore this region. Today Medano Pass is primarily traveled by 4WD vehicle, on a rough 22-mile road connecting Great Sand Dunes with the Wet Mountain Valley and Colorado State Highway 69. Passable only in the warmer months and only with high-clearance 4-wheel-drive vehicles, it gives access to Medano Pass (elevation 10,040’) and Great Sand Dunes National Preserve.

• With a 4 wheel drive vehicle, travel along the eastern edge of the dunefield into a steep forested canyon, crossing Medano Creek 9 times.

Mosca Pass

Just above the dunefield are woodlands of pinon and ponderosa pine, and subalpine aspen and conifer forests. The easiest hiking access to forest in the national park is in Mosca Pass, on the Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass Trail. On these trails, you are walking in the footsteps of Pleistocene mammoth hunters, indigenous tribes, diverse settlers, American explorers, and 19th century African American Buffalo Soldiers.

• From the parking area, you walk into a forested canyon. A small stream flows near the trail. Listen for the songs of diverse birds in the trees.

Sand Creek Basin

Sand Creek Basin is part of the alpine watershed of Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. A longer drive and hike is required to reach these lakes and peaks, but the mountain scenery is worth the effort. Check with a ranger for conditions before travel. Snow may block these trails from November into June. 

• Take a 4 wheel drive vehicle on a rough road through forest to Music Pass Trailhead. Hike a steep mile through forest to Music Pass, which overlooks Sand Creek Basin. Hike through forest and meadows to alpine lakes surrounded by steep mountains.

Star Dune

One of the two tallest dunes in North America, pyramid-shaped Star Dune rises 741 feet (225 m).

• From Dunes Parking, you walk down a wide, flat sandy creek bed with tall dunes on the right, mountains on the left, and rounded mountains in the distance. After two miles a pyramid-shaped dune comes into view. You ascend dune ridges to the top, where a vast sea of dunes surrounds you, with mountains above them.

The Dunefield

The centerpiece of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is the 30-square-mile (78-square-km) dunefield, featuring the tallest dunes in North America. Because there are no trails, you can venture out anywhere you'd like to discover unusual insects, plants, wildlife tracks, ripples, and sand grains of every color. In warmer months, watch for one of 7 species of endemic insects, found nowhere else in the world, that are specially adapted to the extreme environment here.

• From Dunes Parking, walk through cottonwood trees and willow bushes to the edge of the sand. Medano Creek flows here during the snowmelt of spring, in surge flow waves reaching up to 20 inches (51 cm) at peak flow. Most of the flow season the creek is more shallow and easy to wade through. In summer, fall, and winter, the creek bed is normally dry. Beyond the flat creek bed is the first high ridge of dunes, stretching from the valley floor at left to 13,297 foot (4,053 m) Mount Herard at right.

Entrance Station

• Entrance Station
• Purchase park passes at the Entrance Station, located on the main entrance road. Entrance Station hours are variable depending on the season and day, but are generally open during standard business hours in warmer months.

Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center

• Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center
• The visitor center offers restrooms, a water fill station, interactive exhibits, and a 20-minute video about the park. Park rangers are available to answer questions and help you plan your time.

• Explore the Dunes
• Explore the tallest dunes in North America! The centerpiece of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is the 30-square-mile (78-square-km) dunefield, featuring the tallest dunes in North America. Because there are no trails, you can venture out anywhere you'd like to discover unusual insects, plants, wildlife tracks, ripples, and sand grains of every color.

• Sandboarding and Sand Sledding
• Sandboarding and sand sledding are the most popular activities on the dunes. Read the information on this page to have a positive, fun, and safe experience.

• Splash in Medano Creek
• Medano Creek is a popular seasonal stream enjoyed by all ages.

• Hike Montville Nature Trail or Mosca Pass Trail
• Just above the dunefield are montane woodlands of pinon and ponderosa pine, subalpine aspen and conifer forests, alpine lakes and rugged mountains over 13,000 feet (4,000 m) in elevation. The easiest access to forest in the national park is on the Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass Trail.

• Experience the Night
• Half the park is after dark! Night at Great Sand Dunes can include dunes exploration under a bright full moon, viewing thousands of stars on a clear moonless night, listening for owls along the foothills, or observing migrating amphibians on a wet night.

• Hike Medano Lake and Mount Herard
• Take your 4WD vehicle around the dunes and up to Medano Pass, hike to a small alpine lake, then continue to the summit of 13,297 ft (4,053 m) Mount Herard for an aerial perspective on the entire dunefield! This is a physically demanding but incredibly rewarding way to experience many of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve's ecoystems, from desert dunes to alpine tundra. Watch the high-energy 40-second video to get a glimpse of this unique experience!

• Hike Sand Creek Lakes
• Sand Creek Lakes are part of the alpine watershed of Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. A longer drive and hike is required to reach these lakes, but the mountain scenery is worth the effort. Check with a ranger for conditions before travel. Snow may block these trails from November into June. 

• 4WD Medano Pass Primitive Road
• Drive a a 4WD around the eastern edge of the dunes then over a forested mountain pass. Be prepared for soft sand, creek crossings, and rocky terrain.