Update
Working Together for the Future of Parks
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Life is a desert of shifting sand dunes. Unpredictable. Erratic. Harmony changes into dissonance, the immediate outlives the profound, esoteric becomes cliched.
Breathtaking Seas of Sand
Come marvel at the beauty of the dunes against the splendor of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve spans over 30 miles and contains over 5 billion cubic meters of
sand to create the largest sandbox in North America.
Nestled in southern Colorado, this park features North America's tallest dunes, rising over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The wind-shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland, containing over 30 square miles of massive dunes, became a national monument in 1932. With the passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act, resources now also include alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands—all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species.
Park Updates
Stay Connected with NPF
Stay inspired—sign up for our emails, learn how to become a member, and follow us on social media to get the latest park stories.