Andrew Dahm
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Facing north at the top of the High Dune toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. High Dune is approximately 700 feet (213 meters) in height. To put that into perspective, the mountain the background (Mount Herard) is approximately 2,040 feet high. That means High Dune is over 1/3 the size of that mountain.
Great Sand Dunes NP is a 30 square mile dune field, housing the tallest dunes in North America. During the summer, the sand can reach 150 degrees fahrenheit (65 celsius).
Before reaching the dune field, you must ford a shallow Medano Creek. The distance from the creek to the large dunes is deceptively long. Once you reach the dunes, climbing them is 2 steps forward, 1 step back, as your feet sink into the sand and slide back during ascent. On a good day, you can expect the 700 foot ascent to the summit of High Dune to take an hour.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Facing north at the top of the High Dune toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. High Dune is approximately 700 feet (213 meters) in height. To put that into perspective, the mountain the background (Mount Herard) is approximately 2,040 feet high. That means High Dune is over 1/3 the size of that mountain.
Great Sand Dunes NP is a 30 square mile dune field, housing the tallest dunes in North America. During the summer, the sand can reach 150 degrees fahrenheit (65 celsius).
Before reaching the dune field, you must ford a shallow Medano Creek. The distance from the creek to the large dunes is deceptively long. Once you reach the dunes, climbing them is 2 steps forward, 1 step back, as your feet sink into the sand and slide back during ascent. On a good day, you can expect the 700 foot ascent to the summit of High Dune to take an hour.