Great Sand Dunes National Park Attractions
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Great Sand Dunes National Park Attractions
Great Sand Dunes National Park Attractions
 | Colorado Gators 9162 County Road 9 North Mosca, CO • 718-378-2612 This gator farm, open year round, is the home of more than 400 alligators, as well as a variety of other reptiles, including turtles, tortoises, snakes, and lizards. (It also serves as a reptile rescue facility for unwanted scaly pets). You'll find it in the small settlement of Mosca, 17 miles north of Alamosa on Highway 17. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Medano Creek Great Sand Dunes National Park , CO At the base of the dunes, next to the visitors' center, is shallow and wide Medano Creek (medano is Spanish for "sand dune"). Kids love to wade and splash around in its clean waters, building sand castles, trying to dam the water, skimboarding, and basically having a beach-like blast. The creek is seldom deeper than about four inches (but can get up to 11 inches in spots), and it generally starts to flow in late March or April, with peak flow in late May and early June. Typically, it runs dry in July -- although in years with a heavy snowfall, it goes all summer long. It flows in several braided channels, each from three to 20 feet wide. (The entire creek is between 30 and 50 feet across.) Creek flow is always highest in early morning, and lowest in late afternoon. If your kids think they see waves in the creek, they're witnessing a phenomenon called surge flow. Sand piles up (forming underwater mini dunes) and then breaks down from the force of the current, which then causes a surge of water similar to what happens when a dam breaks, but on a smaller scale. The effect creates ripples or waves coming at intervals of anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or more apart. In years when the water is high, the surges can be as much as a foot tall! Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Montville Nature Trail Great Sand Dunes National Park , CO This half-mile cool and shady loop trail through the forest is a perfect mid-day option in summer, rewarding hikers with great views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the sand dune field, and the San Luis Valley. The level trail (elevation gain is only 100 feet) follows Mosca Creek, passing the remains of a historic toll station. You can pick up a brochure at the visitors center that explains the highlights of each of 16 numbered stops. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Rio Grand Scenic Railroad 610 State Avenue Alamosa, CO • 877-726-7245 This is the highest full-service standard gauge railroad in the US, and the steam train excursion trips it offers are first-rate. Take the full-day excursion from Alamosa to La Veta and back. The trip leaves at 9 a.m. and arrives in La Veta at 12:25 p.m. You'll have about two hours to walk around town and soak up the Old West atmosphere before re-boarding at 2:15 p.m. and returning to Alamosa by 5:45 p.m. You have your choice of riding in the standard coach cars (dating from the early 1900s) or the newly restored double-decker dome cars, which are best for sightseeing. The scenery includes the dune fields, mountain passes, steep cliffs, and colorful canyons as the train negotiates one of North America's highest mountain rail passes, steep grades, winding curves, and two tunnels. You'll also see a fair amount of wildlife along the way, and docents give historical narratives as you ride the rails. The railroad now offers onboard bistro meal service (both breakfast and lunch), although you might want to have lunch in one of the quaint cafes and restaurants in La Veta, which also offers museums, shops, and a delightful park. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Sand Dunes Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO Feel free to set off in any direction to explore the dune field, since there are no trails to follow. Many visitors take off for what's called High Dune, which appears to be the tallest dune from the visitors' center, although it's actually neither the highest in elevation nor the tallest from base to summit. At 650 feet, it's certainly no slouch, and it offers spectacular views to those hardy enough to zigzag along the ridgelines to reach the top. (The visitors' center can loan you a dunes' accessible wheelchair for free if anyone in your party is handicapped.) It takes the average adult about an hour to reach the top of the first ridge, but you can have plenty of sandy fun without going all the way. Probably the favorite pastime here is sledding, skiing or sand-boarding on the dunes -- especially good after a rain or snowfall. Use smooth, hard, flat-bottomed sleds or skis, which you can buy in the neighboring towns. You won't have much luck with cardboard, so don't bother to bring any. If you visit in summer, limit your dunes exploration to morning or evening to avoid hot sand. Bring water and snacks along, and be sure to wear shoes. On sunny days, the sand's surface temperature can reach as high as 140 degrees; hot enough to blister bare feet. Don't forget sunscreen, because at higher elevations (the visitors center is at 8,200 feet), skin burns more easily than it does at sea level. Before you climb back into your car, you'll want to make good use of the foot wash outside the rest room in the parking area. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Sand Dunes Swimming Pool 1991 County Road 63 Hooper, CO • 719-378-2807 This family-owned natural artesian pool is filled with natural hot springs water that is clear and odorless. The main pool is between 98 and 100 degrees, although there's also a smaller therapy pool for soaking that's a little hotter (105 to 107 degrees) as well as a covered pool for babies. Pool toys are available for rent, and you won't want to miss the concession stand -- it sells organic produce grown in on-site greenhouses. You'll find this attraction northwest of the national park, just beyond the tiny town of Hooper on Highway 17. It's open year-round but closed every Thursday for draining and refilling. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Zapata Falls State Highway 150 Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO • 719-852-5941 This moderate half-mile hiking trail leads you to the base of a creek, where you pretty much have to get your feet wet if you want to see the 30-foot falls roaring down a narrow cave-like chasm. The dramatic sight is definitely worth the wading, and the cold water feels good on a hot summer day. The water is swift and deep in early summer, and the trail is fairly rocky (and somewhat steep), so this hike isnât appropriate for the youngest children or anyone unsteady on their feet. Some of the rocks can be slippery, as well, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots with good traction. Under Bureau of Land Management jurisdiction, the Zapata Falls Recreation Area is 11.5 miles south of the Great Sand Dunes visitorsâ center (on the way to Alamosa). To get there from the park, drive south on Highway 150 to the Zapata Falls Recreation Area sign. Turn left on the gravel road and drive 3 miles to the parking area. There, youâll find restrooms and picnic tables in addition to the trailhead. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Zapata Ranch Bison Tours 5305 State Highway 150 Mosca, CO • 888-592-7282 Zapata Ranch, a 103,000-acre cattle and bison ranch owned by the Nature Conservancy and a neighbor to the park, is home to the largest free roaming herd of bison in the nation. Here, your family can take a two-hour bison tour in a 4WD, weather permitting, at any time of the year. The ranchâs 2,000 bison are kept on 50,000 acres on the north end of the property on land known as the Medano Ranch. In addition to the bison, you may also see other wildlife, including bear, coyote, elk, deer, antelope, rabbits, porcupines, great horned owls, red tailed hawks, eagles, and many other species of birds. The tour also takes you through the historic Medano Ranch Headquarters, which dates from the late 1800s. The bison are a wild herd, theyâre not branded or fed by the ranchers the way cattle are. During winter, large herds of elk often join the majestic beasts, making for an even more memorable tour. Tours donât leave at set times, but you must have reservations and there is a four-person minimum. If you have less than four people in your family, the ranch will attempt to schedule you with other visitors. Reservations are taken only two weeks in advance. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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