Great Sand Dunes
From the first time I learned about Great Sand Dunes National Park it was instantly put at the top of our travel list. The unique photography I had seen from there was something we just had to get for ourselves. It worked out that we would be in the area for a railroad event at the Cumbres and Toltec railroad in August 2021. This trip was jam packed and we found an afternoon to squeeze in a stop at the park on our way from Durango to Alamosa.
We had spent the last two days in Durango and on this morning we had planned to follow the Durango & Silverton train out of town a little ways and then go to Great Sand Dunes.
The morning began with a stop at Durango Joe’s (I always have to find a local coffee shop!) Afterwards, we went to a spot we had picked out at a park along the Animas River to get a shot of the train going by. We followed the train up to Rockwood for one final shot.
Our first visit to Durango was complete and it was sad to leave the beautiful San Juan Mountains area. We’ll be back because there’s so much to see and do! The 3 1/2 hour drive to Grand Sand Dunes began. The scenery in this part of the state makes the drive much more enjoyable. We stopped for lunch at The Peak Deli in Pagosa Springs and had a sandwich alongside the scenic San Juan River.
Our goal was to make it to the visitor center by closing time at 4:30pm. It’s tradition when we go to a National Park we have to get our passport book “cancelled” so we were determined to make it before closing time. All the way we kept watching the estimated time get closer to 4:30pm. The sand dunes started coming into view miles from the park entrance. The weather was starting to look a bit yucky, but thankfully went around the area we were headed.
We rolled into the park entrance at 4:19pm and stamped our book at 4:22pm. As soon as we walked into the visitor center they told use we had 5 minutes. We just started grabbing the usual mementos we like to purchase and made it out the door as they were turning off lights. N
ow that we got that out of the way it was time to start exploring. The view behind the visitor center is simply incredible.
The walk from the parking lot to the bottom of the dunes is about the length of a football field. We quickly started to realize how difficult this hike would be since its all sand. The closer we got to the start of the dunes the more massive they really became and the more of a challenge it was becoming.
This was an afternoon in August and during the week so the park wasn’t very crowded. We parked, got our cameras prepped, made sure we had plenty of water, and off we went.
There’s no set way to go up the dunes. No marked trails. You make your own trail or follow in someone else’s steps. Starting out the climb wasn’t bad, but after a while it gradually started getting steeper and steeper. The higher we got on the dunes the more impressive the landscape became. Which also turned into some very cool photos!
Great Sand Dunes is the perfect park for photographers. Everywhere you turn there’s a cool view that deserves a frame. My favorite part of photographing here was how artsy and creative I could be. Normally I don’t include people in my pictures. I try to work around them or wait on them to move along, but here the people around actually make some of the photos. Without being there it’s the easiest way to show and appreciate just how big these dunes really are.
The climb was tough. We didn’t make it all the way to the top, it was getting late, light was fading, and we wanted to get off the dunes before we lost light completely. When we decided to turn around and head down the dunes we took a break before then and enjoyed the views. A view of our accomplishment. Climbing sand dunes is definitely not what we’re used to doing, but once we got to “our” top it was so neat to see where we actually came from. The parking lot looked so tiny and so far away.
The way down was much more enjoyable and filled our shoes with tons of sand. We’ll definitely make a trip here again in the future with plans to spend a day and with a goal to make it to the top!
If you’re planning your next trip here be sure to check out the National Park Service website for Great Sand Dunes for any closures in the area as well as visitor center information. There’s so much more to do here that we didn't have time for during our first visit.
Alamosa, Colorado is the nearest town to Great Sand Dunes and is approximate 32 minutes away. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and it was very nice. There are plenty of food options here as well. Colorado is one of our favorite states. This was our first time in this part of the state and we absolutely loved it. Planning a trip here is so easy, but also difficult because there’s so many places to go and things to see. — Allyson