The Great Sand Dunes are not a mirage!

I recently returned from seeing the Great Sand Dunes en route to Four Corners from Toledo, Ohio! I had never heard of them before, but when I stopped to read the historical information sign near Alamosa in San Luis Valley, Colorado about Mount Blanca, the first of the four sacred mountains to the Deneh/Navajo (and in the Navajo language Mount Blanca is called Tsisnaasjini' - Dawn or White Shell Mountain), I noticed the sign mentioning the Great Sand Dunes and decided to go check them out and was hoping they wouldn't be a waste of time and gas money - and they definitely weren't! I would love to have spent more time there, and was sure glad I was there early in the morning so I could climb on them before it got too hot (and the altitude certainly affected me too), and I saw my first Pronghorn Antelope there, but I continued to Four Corners, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly (de shay)...

The Great Sand Dunes are not a mirage!

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

[The following excerpts are from the home page of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve] QUICKLINKS: Directions Operating Hours & Seasons Fees & Reservations Visitor Guide 2008 Centennial Initiative 2016 Medano Creek Conditions Camping and Lodging Programs, Events, Tours Dunes Explore the tallest dunes in North America! Whether hiking, sliding, exploring in a dunes wheelchair - or simply playing - the Great Sand Dunes are a unique wilderness area protected for all to enjoy. Find out how these dunes were formed. Creeks and Streams Water is the lifeblood of the Great Sand Dunes system. Streams begin as mountain snowfields, melting then flowing through alpine lakes, forests, dunes, grasslands, and lush wetlands. Explore the flowing waters of Great Sand Dunes. Check current conditions of Medano Creek . Mountains Explore the mountain watershed of the Great Sand Dunes. Rugged 13,000' summits, alpine lakes, tundra, and ancient forests are protected in Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. Grasslands, Shrublands, and Wetlands Explore the grasslands, shrublands and wetlands that surround Great Sand Dunes on three sides.

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			Did You Know? Free ranger programs are offered regularly at Great Sand Dunes from May-September, and on request the rest of the year. Most programs welcome all ages. more...