There is a place on earth where you can carve not snow, but sand!!! Great Sand Dunes National Park is located in the San Luis Valley near Alamosa, CO. This place is so unique! Imagine walking on sand dunes with the feeling of being in the Sahara Desert! Perch atop a 750 tall sand dune looking out with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as the back drop. Sandboard or sled down hundreds of feet of endless sand, or if you want to relax throw your feet in Medano Creek and just soak it all in. These are just some of the things you can do here! This is also the start of a series on national parks in the U.S. so keep an eye out for more stories. There are a lot of great parks in our country!
Also very quickly, as Steemit's "First Professional Hockey Player," click here to read my story, https://steemit.com/journey/@thebear/steemit-s-first-professional-hockey-player. Many people enjoyed my pictures and experiences. I've decided I want to share more of my travels. I am proud to share all of these pictures with you as photography and adventuring is one way I love to spend my time. I hope you enjoy!
Now, one thing I love about Great Sand Dunes NP is that while it is a big park, you're really only there for one reason- to play in the dunes! Some parks you go to there are so many different hikes or things to see your head explodes trying to figure it all out! Also, because of the remoteness of this park it doesn't get very crowded, it's under the radar of most! It is also a great safe place for kids to play in the sand and water! Quickly, before I lay it all out for you there are some things you do need to know. In mid summer, the sand can get as hot as 150 degrees Fahrenheit! Yes, that's 1-5-0, 150! So it's best to hike in the morning if you're going to be on the dunes. It can also be windy and blow sand around so you want some eye wear to protect you from the sand and sun. Also, pack plenty of water and sunscreen. You wont find any out on the dunes, nor will you find camels! Finally, the dunes sitting in the San Luis Valley already start at an elevation over 8,000 ft so high altitude means low oxygen levels! If you plan on just sticking around the base area of the dunes this stuff shouldn't be of much concern accept maybe some water and sunscreen, so here we go!
If you're looking to get lost in a Saharan Desert just start hiking onto the dunes! High Dune (699 ft. high from the base) on the first ridge is an awesome spot for a great view! It's easy to spot from the visitor center, just set your eyes upon it and start walking! If you are really ambitious you can hike out to Star Dune, which is a 755 ft. high sand dune. While I did not do this it's on the list for the next time I go! If you do attempt one of these dunes know this, every step up in the sand you take feels like going nowhere!!! If you think walking on beach sand is tiresome or hard try walking up beach sand at an altitude of 8,000 ft. You will feel it I promise! Basically it takes about 3 steps to move the equivalent of a step on a normal hill, in steeper areas make that like 4 steps!
Is this the Sand Dunes or the Sahara? Can you believe this is in Colorado!
Personally, my favorite thing about the dunes is going sandboarding! Grab an old snowboard, or you can rent a specially made sand sled/board through the park service for like $10 a day. If you don't have your own snowboard I would recommend this as they are made just for sand and a lot of sleds don't work well. While sand does not carve exactly like snow you can still run some great lines in the dunes, and it is very similar! If you know how to snowboard you can do it. I was able to go very fast and down some steep dunes! Do note that falling at high speeds is not as comfortable as snow, but rolling and tumbling down dunes can be fun too! Also, be aware of what you are sandboarding into! I went down one slope into a deep bowl several hundred feet down and I had an extra hard time getting out as when I would step up all the sand would give way and I would slide back down!!! It was scary for a bit I thought I was never going to get out, but luckily with my board I was able to gain ground. I was sure not to make that mistake again!
The Fiance getting ready to ride a line!
After carving some lines and eating some sand. Head back to your car and head north to the Sand Pit or Castle Creek to throw your feet in Medano Creek to cool down, relax and enjoy the view. Note, getting there requires 4 wheel drive and driving through sand. Also, the creek water level can change drastically depending on weather and time of year. Normally, the later in the summer the less water in the creek. Castle Creek is my favorite spot because it has it all. Especially for kids, you can play in the sand and the creek water is so nice to cool down in. It's also facing some really high and steep dunes that you can snowboard down right into the water! Granted it's not deep enough to just launch yourself in, it's nice to fall into after cooking in the sun on your climb up!
After all of this, you are sure to be tired and hungry. I recommend heading into town for dinner, where there is some great authentic Mexican food at a joint called, Calvillo's! There is also a campground in the park so you can make a weekend out of it and cook some nice food over the fire! The area around the park is also great for hunting, fishing, off-roading, and other adventurous things. The San Luis Valley is also known for it's strong spiritual forces, and believe it or not is known as the UFO ally of CO! Anyways, regardless of what you do and how long you stay. Even if it's just for the sights I promise it's worth the time to travel there! It's a wild combination of natural beauty!!!
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