Getting There
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is on US Route 160. The closest commercial air service is in Colorado Springs (163 miles away, via I-25 and US Route 160), Denver (215 miles away, also via I-25 and US Route 160), and Albuquerque (205 miles away, via I-25 and US 285). The park is also 149 miles east of Durango, another great family-friendly destination.
The park's entrance fee is $3 per adult (age 16 and up), and entry is good for one week from the date of purchase. Children 15 and under are admitted free. During National Park Week in April, entrance is free to all. You can also buy an annual pass for $15 that is good for everyone in the vehicle for an entire year.
Getting Around
If you arrive during peak season in May and June, you might want to be prepared to drop the kids off with one parent at the visitors center while the other parks the car (because the only available spots might be some distance away). On occasional busy days, such as on Memorial Day weekend, the park runs a shuttle bus. Otherwise, there is no public transportation of any kind.
The hiking trails here aren't paved, but it's possible to take a rugged outdoor-type stroller with large wheels on the quarter-mile graveled Sand Sheet Loop Trail, which starts at the visitors center and takes you into the grassland environment. Some parents take the same sort of strollers in the Medano creek bed, too.
The Art of Smart Timing
The park is open year round. Spring and fall have cooler weather and fewer crowds, and the sand doesn't get nearly as hot -- but Medano Creek is not flowing then. If you want to time your visit to be sure there's water in the creek, don't come before April and get here before mid-July. Peak flow is in mid to late May and early June. (May is also the best time to see the surge flow phenomenon.) Be aware that weekends in May and June are extremely crowded and the main parking lot fills up fast. Although the park is open in winter, it gets very cold and there are very few visitors. Snow starts falling in September, and it can snow as late as April.
Junior Ranger Day is usually the second Saturday in June, with even more activities and ranger programs than usual (with lots of prizes, including pins, certificates, and t-shirts).
Visitor's Bureaus
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Alamosa Convention & Visitors Bureau
Great Sand Dunes National Park Planning & Tips
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Great Sand Dunes National Park Planning and Tips
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