What to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park with Kids
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We swam all day in the famous Medano Creek at the foot of the Dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park
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The kids found a giant sand hole to play in just near Medano Creek
If you’re looking for what to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park with kids, you’re in the right place. I have a lot of tips for visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park. This Park is unique because it changes constantly and offers visitors completely different experiences during the day versus at night and in the summer versus in winter! Great Sand Dunes National Park is visited by approximately 450,000 people annually and is about is 107,341 acres. It is the 39th largest National Park of the 62 in the United States.
Every visitor to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve should make a stop at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to get a park map, get a weather update and info about the park’s road conditions and possible closures as well as Medono Creek updates. Park Rangers are also a wonderful resource for finding out the parks more off the beaten path spots. The Visitor Center is open every single day from 8 AM-5 PM in summer and either 9 AM-4:30 PM during the winter and spring. The Visitor Center offers explorers a educational 20-minute video, interactive exhibits, first aid room, a large back porch with an incredible view of the dunes, restrooms, and a decent sized gift shop!
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When to Visit Great Sand Dunes National Park
The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and experience Medano Creek is in late May or early June. This is when the creek is in peak flow and water activities reach their pinnacle. Since Medano Creek is very popular, expect long lines to enter the park and limited parking spaces. Try to get to the park before it opens and, if you can, visit on a weekday rather than the weekend. Click HERE for up to date info on Medano Creek conditions.
The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park in general is going to be up to the person visiting. Every month of the year brings exciting changes in this unique climate. To read more about month to month changes and what the climate is like at the Dunes, click HERE.
The average annual weather for reference courtesty of Handsontheland.org
How to get to Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is amazing, but it isn’t super easy to access. I recommend starting from Alamoso or Colorado Springs if you’re looking to do a day trip. To give you an idea of how long it will take to get to the park, here are a few examples.
Obligatory national park sign photo!
How far is Great Sand Dunes National Park from Colorado Springs? 2 hours, 45 minues
Denver to Great Sand Dunes National park is 3 hours 45 minutes
Alamoso to Great Sand Dunes National Park is 35 minutes
Albequerque to Great Sand Dunes National park is 6 hours, 20 minutes
Santa Fe to Great Sand Dunes National park is 3 hours
Messa Verde National Park to Great Sand Dunes National Park is 4 hours and 44 minutes
Rocky Mountains National Park to Great Sand Dunes National Park is 4 hours and 50 minutes
Great Sand Dunes National Park is easiest accessed from Alamoso, Colorado.
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Where to Stay in Great Sand Dunes National Park
There are is no lodge options within Great Sand Dunes National Park or Preserve.
Great Sand Dunes National Park Camping:
Image Courtesy of the National Park Service
This is the only front country campground within Great Sand Dunes National Park. There are restrooms with sinks and flush toilets, but no showers. Each site comes with a fire grate and picnic table. Some, but not all sites offer natural shade. A few sites can accomodate RVs up to 25 feet long, but there are no electric, water or sewer hook ups available. Check Availability HERE.
Backcountry camping and backpacking are permited in Great Sand Dunes National Park. It’s an incredible way to experience the Dunes up close and get unmatched views of the famous starry skies and moonlight. Bakcpackers must obtain a back country camping permit prior to camping. Since this is such a unique camping environment, campers must read and follow safety guidelines.
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The kids eating dinner at our campsite just outside Great Sand Dunes National Park
Where to Stay Outside of Great Sand Dunes National Park
We stayed at Great Sand Dunes Oasis just outside of the park
Mosca, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes Oasis: This place offers RV sites and tent camping sites with access to clean shower/restroom facilities and unmatched views of Great Sand Dunes National Park. Great Sand Dunes Oasis also offers motel rooms that have refrigerators and microwaves in the room. They have playgrounds, a restaurant, a small gas station, and a convenience store. You can also rent sand equipment here for sandboarding and sand sledding. This facility is located directly outside of the park and the National Park sign is right at the entrance to Great Sand Dunes Oasis; it’s that close! This is the best place to camp near Great Sand Dunes National Park. I recommend staying at Great Sand Dunes Oasis over anywhere else because of the amazing amenities and it’s proximity to the National park is unmatched!!
Zapata Ranch: Located on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, the ranch borders the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Home to a conservation herd of bison that run in a single 50,000 acre pasture, the ranch also runs a herd of Angus mother cows. Additionally, the ranch has a 17-bedroom Lodge that welcomes guests from around the world who are interested in exploring the ranch’s scenic and ecologically diverse meadows, wetlands, sand dunes, and cottonwood groves and learning about ranching’s role in preserving and protecting these natural landscapes
Alamosa, Colorado
KOA Alamosa: Nestled between the breathtaking San Juan Mountains and Sangre de Cristo Mountains at 7,550 feet, the San Luis Valley is a great option for camping near Great Sand Dunes National Park. This KOA is near the golden ridges of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, where you can hike dunes up to 750 feet tall. It's also at the base of Colorado's fourth tallest mountain, 14,345-foot Blanca Peak. After a day of exploring come back to the campground to enjoy the many amenities and activities such as a playground, pool, Hunt Brothers pizza and pancake breakfasts on the weekends!
Hotels in Alamosa: Use the map below to find a hotel in Alamosa based on your famiy’s budget and need!
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What to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park with Kids
1) Hike:
The most popular thing to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park is climb and explore the dunes. From extreme hiking to easy; this park has it all.
Best Hikes for Toddlers in Great Sand Dunes National Park
We climbed to the top of a dune and watched others climb further and further out into the dunes.
Dune Exploration: For anyone with small children, I recommend just a basic exploration of the dunes. First, the heat can be oppressive in the dune fields. Second, the wind along the ridges of the dunes causes the sand to whip your skin and can be very uncomfortable. For me with 2 little ones in tow, we made the summit of the very first dune in the field and could go no further. Expect to go slow in the sand and know that there are no designated trails in the dunes.
Exploring the dunes is one of the top things to do in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Best Hikes for Kids in Great Sand Dunes National Park:
There is a trail that leads to the dunes from the visitor center — its perfect for a leisurely stroll and a nice look at the dunes
See my comments above if you’re traveling with small children.
High Dune on First Ridge: This is the most popular dune to summit. It provides hikers with amazing views of the entire sand dune field. While it looks like the tallest peak in the range from the parking lot, it is not. It stands at 699 feet, 50 feet shorter than Star Dune. Expect this hike to take about 4 hours round trip and you’ll move about 2.5 miles up and down sand dunes to reach this one. If you’re looking for what to see in Great Sand Dunes National Park, this is it!
Best Hikes for Teenagers in Great Sand Dunes National Park:
Star Dune: This is the tallest dune in North America standing at 750 feet from base to summit. While you can hike over many dunes to access Star Dune, an easier route is to hike south along Medano Creek until you can see the Dune. There is no formal trail here, just follow any ridge to its summit. Expect to take around 6 to 9 hours for the trip and to move about 8 miles. This is one of the most challenging hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Mosca Pass Trail: This trail is 7 miles total; 3.5 miles out and 3.5 miles back. It follows a creek to the summit in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It offers hikers shade under aspen trees and evergreen forest.
Sand Ramp Trail: This 11-mile trail isn’t typically used to get views of the scenery, but usually for backpackers to access backcountry spots. The hike is mainly sand after the first 2 miles and can be exceptionally hot.
While you’re in Colorado, check out the best hikes in Colorado’s 4 National Parks.
We only made it to the peak of the very first dune in the field before the whipping sand made use turn back
2) Medano Creek
The two creeks at Great Sand Dunes National Park are imperative to keeping this ecosystyem going. The sand is blown from the dunes up to the mountains and as the snow melts, the creeks bring the sand back down. Medano Creek is the creek closest to the visitor center and the one ejoyed by most visitors. There are so many ways to enjoy this natural phenomena. Depending on the flow conditions, visitors may be able to surf, wade, float on a raft, build sandcastles, go skim boarding or any type of non-motorized watersport! Medano Creek is fascinating. The water appears shallow on the surface, but extends up to a mile below the surface. Under the Dunes is a massive aquifer that is recharged annally by runoff from the snowmelt from the mountains. The feature that makes this creek particularly unique is the surge flow phenomena. Surge flow is a stream flowing in rythmic waves. At Great Sand Dunes National Park, the surge flow sends waves approximately every 20 seconds and on particularly high creek years, the waves can be up to a foot high!
Get Ready for an Epic day on Medono Creek
The kids loved swimming and splashing in Medano Creek
3) Become a Great Sand Dunes National Park Junior Ranger:
Great Sand Dunes National Park Junior Ranger program is open year round. Visit the Visitor Center to get a Junior Ranger backapck and instructions from the Park Rangers. There are three different age groups in the booklet: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12, and 13 and up. All sections for your age group must be completed to earn a badge or patch.
4) Sandboarding
Sandboarding and Sand sledding is the most popular sand dunes activities at Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is recommended that visitors plan their sledding and boarding experiences first thing in the morning or in the evening to avoid the sand getting too hot.
If you want to go sand duning, you can rent boards and sleds specifically made for sand. Snow equipment will not work on the sand. There is a list of vendors HERE.
For people with small children, the smaller dunes are appropriate and for adults, teens or older kids the taller dunes are good for longer rides down. Just remember, after you get to the bottom, you have to walk back to the top to do it all again. ha!
We drove the entire road through badlands national park taking in all of the overlooks and other-worldly scenery
5) Stargaze:
Great Sand Dunes is unmatched at night. The National park has a fun saying “Half the park is after dark!” It’s famous for being able to see the entire night sky on a moonless night and has been added as an International Dark Sky Park. The combination of dry air, elevation and lack of city polutants make this location perfect for night gazing. On a full or large moon, take a walk along the moonlit dunes. The park also offers Ranger led night walks.
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6) Fat Tire Biking:
While there are not motorized sports allowed in Great Sand Dunes National Park, fat tire biking is a alternatvie way to explore the park. Bikers are allowed to ride along side 4x4 vehicles on the Medano Pass Primative Road.
7) Medano Pass Primative Road:
Medano Pass Primative Road starts at the Visitor center and goes along the front of the dunes, then makes a slight right turn going from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. This road takes visitors up to Medano Pass. The road is popular for 4X4 vehicles, but conditions can change rapidly. Check up do date information HERE.
Map courtesy of the National Park Service - click the image to see it larger
Great Sand Dunes National Park is the perfect destination for families. From Medano Creek to dune exploration and star gazing, there is something for absolutely everyone to enjoy. No matter whether you camp out or stay nearby Alamoso, these massive dunes make an unforgettable family adventure.
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