Chapter 8
Great Sand Dunes National Park, & Drive to Westcliffe

I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it for my own eyes. About 30 square miles of sand dunes, some over 800 feet high, tucked up against a mountain range in central Colorado. It looked so totally out of place. But that's the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and that's where we went touristing today.

While the dunes have been around for ever, the area has only been a national park and preserve since about 2000. It's a "short" 120 mile drive south of Buena Vista. You can see the dunes piled up against the Sangre de Cristo mountain range from a long distance off. As you drive in the long access road the height of the dunes becomes more noticeable. The park's visitor center explains how the prevailing winds from the west blow across the valley, pick up grains of sand and dust, slow done when they reach the mountains, and then deposit the sand forming the large dunes.

During the early part of the year, the Medano River flows along the side of the dunes, but when we were there later in the year, the river dries up and trickles underground. In the spring, kids can play in the sand along the river just as if they were at an ocean beach.

After a quick lunch in the picnic area, we hike out onto the dunes along with several other hundred people. Leaving the parking area it's about 1/2 mile across a flat sandy expanse to get to the edge of the dunes. Then it's a strenuous walk up the slippery, shifting sand to reach the top of one of the nearer dunes. In the soft sand you slide back about one step for every two steps forward. We eventually make it to the top! All you can see around you for miles is acres of soft undulating sand dunes. It's like being on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

Right) We start out from the parking lot and head for the dunes.   Below Right) It's hard walking on the soft sand!   Below) Looking back towards the parking lot located in the green trees.

A friend at work had told me that we might want to bring some cardboard with us and try sliding down the steep sand slopes sitting on the cardboard. We found some cardboard left by some other visitors and tried his idea. Unfortunately, it didn't work very well. As we tried to slide forward, the soft sand would build up in front of us and stop us from sliding. We had a lot of fun trying though and it kept us "kids" amused for some time trying to slide on the sand. I think an old pair of snow skis or a snowboard or maybe one of those long plastic snow sleds might work better.

After we had every pocket in our pants and the sneakers on our feet filled with sand, we decided it was time to go. We still had 145 miles to drive to get to Westcliffe and meet up with our friends Nora and Duncan from northern Virginia. Our next week of vacation was going to be spent day hiking with them.