Colorado Vacations
Your Guide to Visiting Colorado with the Kids
Sand Dunes Travel Info
Families planning a trip to Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve should keep in mind a few precautions.
Not complicated, these safety considerations can make the difference between a magical or a miserable vacation.
Not complicated, these safety considerations can make the difference between a magical or a miserable vacation.
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Great Sand Dunes National Park
and Preserve
Travel Guide for Families
BEST FAMILY ATTRACTIONS AT GREAT SAND DUNES
RANGER PROGRAMS
FOR KIDS
AMENITIES: PICNIC AREAS, RESTAURANTS, CAMPGROUNDS, AND LODGING
TOWNS NEAR GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK GEOLOGY GUIDE
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK WILDLIFE GUIDE
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK HISTORY GUIDE
TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR FAMILIES
WHAT MAKES THE GREAT SAND DUNES SPECIAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great Sand Dunes National Park
and Preserve
Travel Guide for Families
BEST FAMILY ATTRACTIONS AT GREAT SAND DUNES
RANGER PROGRAMS
FOR KIDS
AMENITIES: PICNIC AREAS, RESTAURANTS, CAMPGROUNDS, AND LODGING
TOWNS NEAR GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK GEOLOGY GUIDE
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK WILDLIFE GUIDE
GREAT SAND DUNES QUICK HISTORY GUIDE
TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS FOR FAMILIES
WHAT MAKES THE GREAT SAND DUNES SPECIAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Photo: Kids play in Colorado's biggest sandbox at the Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Did You Know?  The tallest sand dunes in North America are in Colorado, at Great Sand Dunes National Park. The dune field covers more than 30 square miles. The dunes themselves stretch over 700 feet high in places. |
When-You-Go Information to Help with Planning Your Family Vacation to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Location: South central Colorado, about 30 miles northeast of Alamosa in the San Luis Valley
Address: 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146-9798
Telephone: 719-378-6399
Website: www.nps.gov/grsa
Acreage: 149,500
Altitude: 8,500 to 13,500 feet above sea level
Major Activities: Playing on the dunes and in Medano Creek, camping, hiking, photography, horseback riding, backpacking
Weather: Summer daytime highs average 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows can drop to 40. Winter daytime temperatures are moderate, with lows dropping below 0 some nights.
Best Seasons: Early summer through fall, visitor center is open all year long.
Hours: Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the winter (November through February), and in the spring and fall the schedule is variable, with the center being open generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closures: Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day
Cost: $3 per person for 7 days, $15 for an annual pass, and $12 per day night for camping
Facilities: The visitor center has a bookstore, exhibits, a 15-minute video, and restrooms, including a family restroom. A ranger station is located in the visitor center as well. Outdoor showers for rinsing the sand off (not for bathing) stand near the dunes parking area. Tire air is available in the amphitheater parking lot.
Accessibility: The visitor center and its restrooms are wheelchair accessible, as are the amphitheater and the bathrooms in the campground. The Dunes Parking Lot also has a wheelchair accessible restroom, and the picnic area there is generally navigable by wheelchairs as well. Two of the campground’s sites are accessible as is one backcountry campsite. The visitor center has a wheelchair with fat, air-filled tires that you can check out to take out on the dunes.
Location: South central Colorado, about 30 miles northeast of Alamosa in the San Luis Valley
Address: 11500 Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146-9798
Telephone: 719-378-6399
Website: www.nps.gov/grsa
Acreage: 149,500
Altitude: 8,500 to 13,500 feet above sea level
Major Activities: Playing on the dunes and in Medano Creek, camping, hiking, photography, horseback riding, backpacking
Weather: Summer daytime highs average 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and lows can drop to 40. Winter daytime temperatures are moderate, with lows dropping below 0 some nights.
Best Seasons: Early summer through fall, visitor center is open all year long.
Hours: Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the winter (November through February), and in the spring and fall the schedule is variable, with the center being open generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closures: Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day
Cost: $3 per person for 7 days, $15 for an annual pass, and $12 per day night for camping
Facilities: The visitor center has a bookstore, exhibits, a 15-minute video, and restrooms, including a family restroom. A ranger station is located in the visitor center as well. Outdoor showers for rinsing the sand off (not for bathing) stand near the dunes parking area. Tire air is available in the amphitheater parking lot.
Accessibility: The visitor center and its restrooms are wheelchair accessible, as are the amphitheater and the bathrooms in the campground. The Dunes Parking Lot also has a wheelchair accessible restroom, and the picnic area there is generally navigable by wheelchairs as well. Two of the campground’s sites are accessible as is one backcountry campsite. The visitor center has a wheelchair with fat, air-filled tires that you can check out to take out on the dunes.