The Great Sand Dunes National Park. Park here and walk along the road for beautiful views of the sand dunes. Great views of Time for hike: Their is no set distance. Tents must be located within 40 feet of the front of the bear box at each site. “As long as they stay off the vegetation, it’s OK,” he says. Getting There Great Sand Dunes National Park is 35 miles . Post by Jeremy Hakes » Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:26 am. . Found inside – Page 303Flughafen : Colorado Springs . ... Mount Zwischen 12,006 Little Medano Trail Castle Ponderosa Point Point of No Return AUTHORIZED BOUNDARY GREAT SAND DUNES ... Lock them in the bear boxes provided at most sites. 932 Reviews. The park covers about 33,550 acres and reaches almost 9,000 feet at its highest point. Deposits from eroded mountains, the sand dunes were a sight to see. Found inside – Page 46Medano Pass Primitive Road Map ,'- )'Beave'fv “I” Meadows '~ reat Sand Du Iii- ... on four~wheel drive vehicles must be deflated at the Point of No Return; ... Pinon Flats Campground in Great Sand Dunes, Colorado | You absolutely can't beat the views at Piñon Flats… for realsies. As an intimate look at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the San Luis Valley, this book reveals a desert place as seductive and sobering as existence itself. Besides current conditions, there are many other considerations when planning to drive Medano Pass Primitive Road. The Great Sand Dunes National Park. Found inside – Page 169Medano Pass 235 4 Easy / Moderate 8,200 ' 11,500 Heavy Great Sand Dunes National ... aptly named Point of No Return , is provided for two - wheel drive ... The amount of time you need at Great Sand Dunes National Park really depends on the type of vehicle you have. No off-road driving. Dune Hikes Found inside – Page 100The great dunes draw me deeper, the sulfur white heat burns down on me as silver Tow ... waits to swallow me alive if I stray beyond the point of no return. Reduce tire pressure to about 20 psi if the sand is dry and soft. Drive through creek crossings slowly to avoid drowning your engine. Hiking is the most popular activity at the park, and some visitors . We hiked, sand sledded, climbed dunes, souvenir shopped, had a nice recovery dinner and learned about dune formation for four days and we spent $68.50. We did make a point to hike into Great Sand Dunes National Preserve from the Nature Trail/Mosca Pass . Spring GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL MONUMENT Visitor Center Private property Private property RIO GRANDE NATIONAL FOREST Pinyon Flats campground to Medano Pass 12mi 9km Castle Creek Pinyon Flats Point of No Return Ponderosa Point Mosca Creek Sand Pit Medano Pass Primitive Road Amphitheater (tire air available) Park Headquarters RIO GRANDE NATIONAL . Found inside – Page 1382 SOUTHERN COLORADO Along the eastern boundary of the monument , outside the ... but beyond the Point Of No Return parking lot you'll need a four - wheel ... Plenty of campsites in the treed area near the dunes accommodate those who want to spend a night, or more. They take a run, drop belly first on the mats — and stick. These are the tallest dunes in North America, topping out at over 750 feet. Return to the dunes in the afternoon and stick around for sunset…they are spectacular. Information: Contact the park, 719-378-6300, or www.nps.gov/grsa. Dogs are allowed on the dunes so we took Leo along for the adventure. If you are looking for something more strenuous, the Mosca Pass Trail ascends 1,400 feet in about 3.5-miles, making for a 7-mile round trip. There is some deep trenching in the roadbed high on the pass, but most vehicles are making it all the way over without problems. Fires only in existing fire rings; put out completely with water. The sand dunes! Check the park's weather page for the most accurate park forecasts. From Great Sand Dunes, the Medano Pass Road crosses Medano Creek nine times on its way to Medano Pass. Cold Creek: 9.9 miles from Piñon Flats campground (8.9 miles from Point of No Return). Activities: Hiking and playing in the sand dunes are the most popular activities. Santa Fe, NM is about 3.5 hours away driving and Denver, CO is about 4 hours away driving. Great Sand Dunes National Park. 11999 State Highway 150 Callie P. The site is located in a rugged valley filled with ponderosa pines. W: www.gocolorado.com. See the current cubic feet per second (cfs) flow of Medano Creek (available spring through fall). The Sand Ramp Trail is also closed to all visitor use north of the Medano Pass Road. Great Sand Dunes National Park Highpoint (10,520ft) The view from the highpoint towards the sand dunes, with Blanca Peak in the distance. As human footprints became less prevalent on the sand, other prints marked the sand, including the thin, textured patterns of snakes. Activities: Hiking and playing in the sand dunes are the most popular activities. Peak flow for an average season is about 40 cfs (cubic feet per second), typically occuring in late May and early June. Found inside – Page 315... Mount Herard 13,297 ft Cold Cr . GREAT SAND DUNES GREAT SAND DUNES SAND ... + Dunes High Dune + Amphitheater Dunes A Visitor Center Point of No Return ... If you've already gone up the dunes, this trail is a bit underwhelming. The park is open 24 hrs, so you could even plan a night hike under a full moon. Fees are per vehicle or per motorcycle. Cold Creek: 9.9 miles from Piñon Flats campground (8.9 miles from Point of No Return). Great Sand Dunes National Park - Ecology Great Sand Dunes National Park ranges from 7,500' on the San Luis Valley floor to well over 13,000' in the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Updated September 23, 2021 Entrance fee is valid for one week. Fat bikes (mountain bikes with extra wide tires for sand) are permitted on the Medano Pass Primitive Road, both for day use and for overnight camping in Medano Canyon. The park itself never closes. Found inside – Page 353All sites are $20/night and just a half-mile from the sand dunes via ... sites and remote dunes, can start at Point of No Return Sand Pit Point of No Return ... Found inside – Page 134Great Sand Dunes - national park & preserve Medano Pass primitive Road Drivers ... The road begins at the ominously named Point of No Return parking area, ... This is where our "beach" hike and desert death march began. The Great Sand Dunes. Great Sand Dunes Trek. For your safety, listen and watch carefully for vehicles as you ride. Backcountry trailheads are located at the Point of No Return, Sand Ramp Trail Access, Medano Lake Trailhead, Music Pass Trailhead, and the Liberty Gate Trailhead. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, USA. Overall, it's a fairly small park and you don't need too much time, but having a high clearance 4WD car really opens a lot more of the park up to you.. Basically, the main sites of the park lie along one short paved road that stretches from the park's entrance to the Pinon Flats . May 17, 2017 I love how the wind creates the wavy lines in the sand. The trailhead is at the Point of No Return, where only 4-wheel drive vehicles are allowed past that point. How the dunes were formed here seems a mystery, but not to anyone who’s ever experienced the fierce winds that can sweep across the San Luis Valley. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is 35 miles northeast of Alamosa, in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado. . The Great Sand Dunes from the Montville Nature Trail. Stop and camp at one of the 21 first-come, first-serve primitive camp sites or hike to beautiful Medano Lake at 7.4 miles round . As a class, examine the map, noting the diverse geographic features within the park, including sand dunes, mountains, wetlands, grasslands, alpine . This place is most fun if you just wander around. If you reduce pressure, you will need to reinflate using your own air compressor before driving over rocks in Medano Canyon. Found insideFrom the Great Sand Dunes National Park Visitor Center, a short trail leads to ... The area beyond the Point of No Return parking lot is a good spot to get ... Nature & Parks, Deserts, National Parks, Mountains. Each hunting party with livestock must have a permit to camp and/or hunt in the Cold Creek drainage. It's about a four-hour drive from Denver. Collect dead and down wood only, and build your fires in the grate. Go up the dirt road at least to the point of no return to get away from the people if you can. Visitors can explore a number of life zones in a relatively small area — from the wetlands and riparian habitat surrounding the creeks to the alpine tundra at the top of the nearby 13,000-foot peaks. Our first hike of the day, into the dunes themselves, has us trudging, our boots sinking into the soft sand, as we make slow progress up the first row of dunes. From the Point of No Return look for a small trail sign pointing to Sand Pit. clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles, it gives access to Medano Pass (elevation 10,040’) and Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Found insideBeyond the Point of No Return, only four-wheel high-clearance vehicles are ... INTEREST | FAMILY | Great Sand Dunes National Park's only picnic area is ... The main Dunes Parking Area and paved park roads remain open. The distinctive mountains and sand dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park are featured in the background. Elevation can climb to a staggering 14,000 ft in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east. . Check current sand conditions (above on this page) before riding; if sand gets too soft and dry, travel may not be possible. Admission: $3 per person. There was a sign at the start of this sandy road which read, "Soft sand path, 4WD only past Point of No Return". I jogged slowly along on the Sand Ramp Trail which is an undulating trail in the foothills at the base of the Sangre de Cristo . The Great Sand Dunes are North America's tallest dunes. The highest of the dunes is around 750 feet above the valley floor. No permits are necessary. Cool Fact: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve contains the tallest sand dunes in North America. Keep in mind that the sand can get hot, so plan to hike the dunes on a cool day or start early in the morning or later in the evening. Map of Medano Pass Primitive Road (.jpg file, 1MB) All Rights Reserved. Photo above: Fall colors at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. This is the only backcountry site where campfires are permitted. Creek flow is normally highest at dawn, and lowest in late afternoon. Against the backdrop of rugged 14,000' peaks in the Sangre de Cristo mountains—the 30 square mile sand dune field, with no designated trails—invites you on an adventure. Medano Pass Primitive Road is currently OPEN. These sites are indicated with a brown post and camping symbol, and are numbered by approximate road mileage from the Park/Preserve boundary to Medano Pass. You will encounter soft sand, rocky terrain and creek crossings on this thrilling alpine pass. Rent a 4WD vehicle in Alamosa or bring your own and explore the Medano Pass Primitive Road past the point of no-return. Found inside – Page 474Sneakily writing a personal ad for a fling who likes moonlit sand dune ... and hot Jazz melismas: #21, 8-62 “Point of No Return” and #10, 1-62 “Chip, Chip. Helpful 2. And that’s part of the draw. Runners and hikers like to park their cars at the "Point of No Return" Parking Area to enter the Sand Ramp Trail and enjoy everything from the sandy soil to the beauty of the foothills. Found inside – Page 136Annual visitation to the Great Sand Dunes is anticipated to increase over time ... lot turnouts located on Medano Pass primitive road ( Point of No Return ... Or, with 2WD vehicle, drive to Point of No Return, then hike 1/2 mile (1K) to Sand Pit. Found inside – Page 32Level sand in mixed cottonwood and pinyon - juniper stand , next to ... pine covered dunes ( i.e , on alluvium ) to the " Point of No Return " where a dune ... SAND CREEK: 10.5 miles from Point of No Return, or 7 miles from the Sand Ramp TH (high clearance 4WD parking only). Please be familiar with hunting access, game transport corridors, and guidelines before beginning your hunt. 932, or go to the Web site, www.alamosa.org. Park here and walk along the road for beautiful views of the sand dunes. Photo above: Fall colors at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Kids got tired after just 2 or 3 runs down the hill. Found inside – Page 55The Sand Sea is a longitudinal field , with an infinite number of broad whalebacks ... Speed was the only That whole journey was full of points of no return. The 150,000 acre area is now the Great Sand Dunes National Park, home to the highest dunes in the United States, with its highest, Star Dune, reaching 750 feet. The rubber mats won’t slide, and they roll around laughing at their folly. As the name suggests this area is sandy at first, but will take you into the thick, cool forest of tall pines, before descending back towards the dunes. Reminders: Contact the Visitor Center for the latest information and conditions: 719-378-6395. “Some years, the water is high enough (a foot or more deep) for kids to body surf on the waves or pulses,” Landreth says. Numbers in parentheses are approximate road mileage from Medano Pass down to the Preserve/Park boundary. 1199 Hwy 150, Mosca, CO, 81146 | 719-378-6300. But visitors are warned to stay out of the dune field on hot summer afternoons; the surface temperature of the sand can get anywhere from 140 to 150 degrees on hot, sunny days. This is a decent trail that offers some nice views of the dunes, mountains, and valley. Another unusual aspect of the park is the wavelike action found in Medano Creek each spring. By contrast, the snow often melts off within a few hours after a winter storm, making the dunes a pleasant hike on a winter’s day. Your email address will not be published. On our second hike of the day, up the four-wheel-drive Medano Pass Road to a spot dubbed Point of No Return, we encounter mule deer, easier (and lots firmer) hiking trails, and a class from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs getting a lesson in the local fauna — in this case, a giant Ponderosa pine tree. Found insidePrograms begin at the visitor center, Great Sand Dunes National Park Free. ... car another mile on the Medano Pass Primitive Road to the Point of No Return. Found inside – Page 232Later , toward the end of the 1980s , this land was sold to Colorado College ... air at a pit stop in the Monument aptly named The Point of No Return . Gather dead and down firewood 4” or less diameter. Pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet are permitted in the Preserve (including Mosca Pass Trail) and main use areas of the park, including Piñon Flats Campground, Dunes Overlook Trail, and along the Medano Pass Primitive Road. Across the sandy valley on another dune, a family has better luck with a hard plastic saucer-sled. • Sand Ramp Trail Access: from Point of No Return (above), or from Sand Ramp Trailhead, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Point of No Return on the Medano Pass Primitive Road (high-clearance 4WD only) • Medano Lake Trailhead: 1/2 mile (0.8 km) west of Medano Pass (10.5 miles or 17 km from Piñon Flats Campground). Pets must be leashed or restrained at all times. From Cold Creek on your third day, follow the aptly named Sand Ramp Trail 5.5 miles southeast, through pinon-juniper forest, to Sand Ramp trailhead (reached only by high-clearance, 4WD vehicle), or from there, hike the jeep road south 3.4 miles farther to Point of No Return trailhead. 11999 State Highway 150 Reduce tire pressure to about 20 pounds if sand is soft 2.6 Castle Creek Picnic Area: picnic tables, vault toilet. Or for those with a low-clearance vehicle, you can hike up Sand Ramp Trail where this trail will branch off to the left at just over one mile. Point of No Return. Well, this is the reality.). It is known for the tallest sand dunes in North America, with some over 800 feet tall. How you get there: Google it! The campsite lies in a beautiful grove of cottonwood trees on the edge of the main dunefield. 1.1 Point of No Return: 4WD vehicles ONLY past this point. Sand Creek: 11.5 miles from Piñon Flats campground (10.5 from Point of No Return). Average driving time for the entire primitive road is about 2.5 - 3 hours. Found insideRocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, ... sites and remote dunes, can start at Point of No Return Sand Pit | Point of No Return ... Always fascinating and eternally mysterious. It is a 170 mile drive today on route 25 south to route 160 to route 150 to the Great Sand Dunes National park. more… get $10 in return. A weekend visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (recently upgraded from a national monument) reminds us why this place is so special. The first evidence of human impact on the Great Sand Dunes area is over eleven thousand years old, in the form of spearheads left by nomadic hunters. Most who visit will walk 1/2 mile across the dry bed of the Medano… Visitors may still access the Point of No Return parking area with most passenger cars, and Castle Creek Picnic Area with high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles. The cool morning sand spilled over the top of my hiking boots. After about 2 miles, we hit "The Point Of No Return." A place where the 4x4 road becomes very soft sand and the park restricts travel to some vehicles. The fact that mountains and sand dunes can be photographed together is pretty awesome, too. . But there’s more to the park than just the dunes. Stop and camp at one of the 21 first-come, first-serve primitive camp sites or hike to beautiful Medano Lake at 7.4 miles round . Vehicles must be highway-legal in Colorado. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is 35 miles northeast of Alamosa, in the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado. From experience, I can add that the no-see-um bites can be insidious, seeming like nothing to start, then itching like mad for weeks. Wear closed-toe shoes. Castle Creek offers an impressively tall, steep dune face. A captive bison herd roams the nearby plains. Required fields are marked *. The plan was to try to climb three national park highpoints in Colorado over the next three days. If you plan to hike to one of the higher dunes, another option for each person to have their own sled/board and to hike up to the top and make your way down in one go. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Found inside – Page 242The cadets are responsible for Great Sand Dunes reading the appropriate pages in ... driven to the “ Point of No Return ” along the eastern edge of the ... 10/3 The Great Sand Dunes did not disappoint. No more than two hunting parties with a combined maximum of six (6) head of livestock may establish campsites and maintain their livestock within the watershed drainage of Cold Creek at any one time during hunting season. Medano Creek Information and Current Conditions We couldn't wait to jump in. But the climb back up is akin to walking up a ski slope to get a few seconds of thrills. This is where we found the hiking trail (aka The Point of no return trail) that headed towards Medano Creek. It’s about a four-hour drive from Denver. Passable only in the warmer months and only with high- Found inside – Page 328... until finally a “ point of sand ( 34 ) . of no return " is reached where the ... and coastal sand source of beach sand , or ( iii ) possibly dunes in ... Roadside camping is permitted only at 21 numbered campsites in Great Sand Dunes National Preserve beginning 5.2 miles from where the road begins near Piñon Flats Campground. Found inside – Page 40the next day with sand falling out of the folds of his clothes and irritating ... But he had long since passed the point of no return; he was closer to the ... Sledding down the sand dune was super fun, however climbing back up no so much. Vehicle access to these sites is only available late spring through fall, depending on snow, creek, and road conditions. Park only in designated areas. (You know that dream about running in sand and not getting anywhere? Great Sand Dunes National Park. This trail has great views of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Range. Set your odometer to zero at the western entrance of the primitive road to follow along with this guide. It’s not that it does much damage to the park, “which is constantly shifting and changing anyway,” it’s just more disruptive than the usual park activity. Lodging: There are plenty of campsites in the park (call for reservations) and there’s a lodge just outside the park entrance. Always drive through crossings slowly, steering toward the uphill side to avoid the deepest holes. it was a very narrow winding path with lots of large puddles of undetermined depth. These dunes are a unique geological feature, surrounded as they are by the Colorado Rockies. These dunes are popular with hikers and sandboarders alike. Whether the sand is wet or dry our boards work phenomenally better than plastic sleds. Upper sections of Medano Pass were not burned. These toys are the superior sliding devices at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and are sure to make a great experience even better. Great Sand Dunes is located in Southern Colorado, about halfway between Denver and Albuquerque. Found inside – Page 200A Guide to the Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures Lee Hart. 51 Sand RampTrail A ... Most cars can drive the 1.0 mile to the Point of No Return parking ... Found inside – Page 184... of the Medano Pass Primitive Road to the Point of No Return parking area . ... If you do choose to hike The Great Sand Dunes is a groovy spot for hip on ... Contact the Chief Ranger at 719-378-6321 or via email for a list of guides that are authorized to lead hunts in Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Unfortunately, that’s also the season for flying insects. Both the trail and road are dog friendly. Your email address will not be published. Many people had coolers and sand boards as they made their way up to . The site is located in a rugged valley filled with ponderosa pines. These designated sites are free of charge and first-come, first-served. In the first 5 miles of the road, there are few places to turn around: Point of No Return (1.1 mile), Sand Pit (1.8 miles), Castle Creek (2.6 miles), and the first Medano Creek crossing (4.5 miles). The highlight of any trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park are, of course, the dunes. Then drive all the way out to the sign that says "Point of No Return" which is a great place to park if you plan to sleep out on the dunes. Point of No Return- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO Posted on May 15, 2017 by FablesandCoffee We made it to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve just a little after 1pm, a warm box from Pizza Hut resting on the bfs lap and my eyes fixed on the horizon. Copyright 2021 goColorado. We used Alamosa, CO as our home base to explore the Great Sand Dunes. 1199 Hwy 150, Mosca, CO, 81146 | 719-378-6300. A useful map of where pets are allowed and not allowed can be found on the Park's website. More. 81146, (719) 378-6395 Neither of us had been down to the dunes in decades, and we've been wanting to go camping, so of course we took them up on their offer. If you're coming from Denver, you can go straight south on I-25 and eventually go west at Walsenburg. Found inside... walking and looking, catching fleeting glimpses of the pyramids in the distance beyond great dunes of sand. Soon I had reached my point of no return. Please email or call the Visitor Center at 719-378-6395. I parked at the Point of No Return Trailhead and began my trek toward Medano Pass in the distance.