As the crow flies, Amarillo is about 650 miles from the nearest beach, which would be a few miles southeast of Corpus Christi. That’s nine hours on a good day. But there’s another beach—albeit a smaller one—a little more than five hours away at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in southern Colorado. I have been to 48 of the 63 U.S. National Parks, and this park is one of my favorites.
Before and after dipping your toes in run-off snow melt from the Rockies, there’s the added fun of getting to climb 750-foot dunes. That’s something you can’t do at our Gulf shores, and they are a serious workout. These are also the tallest dunes in North America.
From the parking area, the first encounter at the park is Medano Creek, the seasonal water flow that carries spring snow melt along the base of the dunes. Depending on how much snow fell the previous winter, and how fast the weather warms up, the creek can range from bone dry to 6 to 10 inches in depth, making it a sheer delight in summer’s heat. Well, as long as the water keeps flowing.
On both of my visits, I felt like I was but one of thousands at what could properly be called Colorado’s Beach. While the water is refreshingly cool, remember to bring protective footwear for the dunes, because the sun heats the sand to levels approximating walking on fire. Trust me on this.
Great Sand Dunes is one of four National Parks to feature sand dunes, the others being White Sands in New Mexico, Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan, and Death Valley. But the ones at Great Sand Dunes are far and away the most challenging for hikers. They are very steep. Those “ants” farther up the dune are humans, all plodding along in a two-steps-forward-one-step-backwards cadence.
That steepness also means this is a great place for sand sledding, so bring a plastic disc or other slippery, flat surface for zooming downhill. A metal disc would likely get too hot during summer, so leave that one home. This activity alone will keep the kid in you—plus your kids—entertained for hours.
The park is located 346 miles, or about 5 hours and 20 minutes, from Amarillo. Drive to Raton, New Mexico, on US 87, then I-25 north to Walsenburg, Colorado. From there it is about an hour west on U.S. 160, and then north on CO 150.
Lodging is available at the Great Sand Dunes Lodge only three miles before the park entrance. The nearby Great Sand Dunes Oasis offers cabins and an RV park, while Pinyon Flats Campground is located within the park. Otherwise, Alamosa is the nearest city of any size, located 30 miles southwest of the park along US 160. All of the usual chain hotels are located there, along with more than 50 restaurants and a brewery.
Great Sand Dunes has a long geologic history, having formed more than 440,000 years ago when an ancient lake dried up. The remaining sand was pushed toward a curve in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains by the prevailing southwesterly winds. But storms in the mountains typically push downward in the opposite direction, pushing the sand into tall vertical ridges. The result is a land feature that is constantly in flux.
Indigenous habitation dates more than 11,000 years, and includes the Ute people, Jicarilla Apache Nation, and Navajo. They were fascinated by the dunes, calling them “sand that moves.” The nearby peaks hold spiritual significance for the tribes.
Zebulon Pike was the first Anglo to document the dunes, arriving in 1807 while exploring for the U.S. government. A century later, prospectors tried mining gold from the sand, but those efforts did not bear fruit. In 1932, President Herbert Hoover established the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The park was elevated to National Park status in 2004 to further preserve the ecosystem.
Dunes can be fragile by nature, but the National Park Service allows and encourages visitors to make the most of these massive sand hills. There are no established trails up the dunes, only the footprints of those who went before that same day. The constantly shifting sands guarantee a different experience every day.
Given the varying water flow in Medano Creek, it is worth checking online for park conditions, or calling ahead. Relaxing in the water is half the fun. Be sure to pack a cooler and food for a picnic, and bring all the usual beach toys.
Amarillo’s distance from sunny beaches makes Great Sand Dunes National Park a fun alternative, with the added benefit of being in the Rockies. I will definitely go back. Besides, who doesn’t like a little sand between their toes?
