trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles
I couldn’t resist America’s Newest National Park (2004): The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.
Explore any part of the 30 square mile dunefield you wish; there are no designated trails in the sand. …
… The “High Dune” is neither the highest in elevation nor the tallest in the park, but it looks that way from the main parking lot. It is about 650 feet (198 m) high. Cross the flats and zigzag up the ridgelines to reach it. The 360 degree view is inspirational. From High Dune, the largest dune you see to the west is the Star Dune, rising 750 feet (229 m). It is the tallest dune in North America, and is most dramatic when viewed from the park entrance. To reach it from High Dune, journey another mile and a half up and down across the dunes to its summit. …
I couldn’t tell which dune I climbed. … It looked to be the highest.
A few young people brought their own sand boards. Here’s one guy trying to get back up the steepest slope.
… My camera died on this adventure. Perhaps the blowing sand got into the moving parts.
See the last batch of photos ever (from that camera).
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