One Day in Great Sand Dunes National Park Itinerary
Short on time, but still want to see America’s tallest sand dunes? Then this one day in Great Sand Dunes National Park itinerary is perfect for you!
With the awe-inspiring Sangre de Cristo mountains towering over the golden sand dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park is both beautiful and manageable for a single day visit.
With the itinerary below, you’ll find suggestions on how to best organize your day, so that you get samples of the different areas of the park—which aren’t just about the sand dunes.
You’ll also find tips for visiting the park, suggested hikes, and ways to expand your trip further.
Let’s spend a day out in the sand!
You’ll get this view from the back of the Great Sand Dunes National Park visitors center!
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Getting to Great Sand Dunes National Park
Unlike some of the other western national parks, like Rocky Mountain National Park near Denver or Petrified Forest National Park on the way to Flagstaff, Great Sand Dunes National Park isn’t on the way to anywhere.
You have to fully intend to find the park, which is located just to the east of the small town of Alamosa in southern Colorado.
It’s worth the trouble as I think it offers up one of the best family adventures in Colorado!
From Colorado Springs, take I-25 south, looking for the exit at Walsenburg. There are signs here indicating that this is the exit for Great Sand Dunes National Park.
State Road 150 looking towards the dune fields of Great Sand Dunes National Park
Once you’re off of I-25 at Walsenburg, you’ll take U.S. Route 160 west to Alamosa, going over the North La Veta pass through the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the process. It’s a 4 lane road, wide, and paved. We drove our Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH on this route, and had no issues with it.
(Compared with our experiences on driving Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway with the same camper, this trip was a breeze.)
About 15 miles east of Alamosa, you’ll see a well marked turn onto State Road 150, which is a 2-lane road. It’s paved and smaller than Route 160, but still something that I would’ve felt comfortable hauling our small trailer on.
You’ll take State Road 150 for 16 miles north, which will dead end at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Can I do Great Sand Dunes National Park as a day trip from Colorado Springs?
You could, but it’s going to be a long day. From Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park is about 2.5 hours by car.
Most of this drive is on Interstate I-25, so that does make the trip go by faster.
If you’re doing this as a day trip, you’ll want to be on the road early so that you 1) have a full day at the park, and 2) beat as much of the crowds as possible.
Where is the best place to stay overnight near Great Sand Dunes National Park?
If you’d like to add a night before or after your trip to the park, you have a couple of options.
There aren’t any hotels within the park, although there is one small and seasonally open motel a few miles from the park’s entrance, the Great Sand Dunes Lodge. All other hotels are going to be a 20-25 minute drive away in Alamosa, where you’ll find a Hampton Inn, a Holiday Inn, and several other chain hotels.
For camping, you can do so in the park, though none have hook-ups. Piñon Campground sites can be reserved in advanced, and can fit both tents and RVs to 25 feet.
There are a few hike-in backpacking tent sites throughout the park, as well as some sites that are accessible only by 4x4 vehicle along Medano Pass Primitive Road.
We stayed at the nearby Alamosa KOA for our time at the park, and my family enjoyed the many amenities available there. It’s a great option if you’d like RV hook-ups, a pool, clean showers, and kid-friendly activities.
Don’t forget to get a picture at the entrance sign!
Great Sand Dunes National Park Itinerary Overview
Morning at Great Sand Dunes National Park
Plan to arrive on the early side, especially if you’re visiting in late spring or during the summer.
Unlike the gypsum sand in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, which stays cool year-round, the coarse, honey colored sand at Great Sand Dunes National Park absorbs heat.
Thus, the sand at Great Sand Dunes can get hot, really hot, during those peak summer months. The park’s dunes regularly heat up to 140 degrees F in the mid-summer, so you can guarantee you’ll be sweating with a later start.
Plus, parking is extremely limited. (See the tips section below for more details.)
As soon as you get into the park, head straight to the parking area at the base of the dunes. You’ll want to do your sand sledding and sand boarding before that sand heats up and the majority of the crowds pour in.
We were surprised at how easy it was to pick up sand sledding and sand boarding here, even without much prior experience. Compared to the sand at White Sands National Park, which was finer and less densely packed, the dunes at Great Sands Dunes were compact and great for sand sledding and sand boarding.
If you’re traveling with kids—or you’re a kid at heart!—you’ll want to allot plenty of time in the morning for playing in the dunes.
My dad and I both tried out the sand sledding and boarding alongside my 7 and 10 year olds, and it was so much fun!
Start at the lower dunes, and, if you’d like, work your way up to the bigger dunes. I will say that the bigger dunes, despite what you might think, aren’t necessarily better for sand sledding as they’re easier to get stuck in about halfway down.
This time of day is also great if you’re planning to ascend to one of the park’s larger dunes like Star Dune, which tops 750 feet.
While that might not seem like much, when you’re standing at its base and looking up, you’ll realize just how much work it’s going to take to get to the top.
After all, that’s like climbing to the top of a 70 story building! And you’re doing so while working against the shifting sand.
Still, if you’re obsessed with the book or movie Dune (like my younger kid is) you will relish the idea of exploring the dunes anyway you can.
The beautiful rolling sand dunes with the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the distance
NOTE: The dune field is an open hike section of the park. There aren’t any specific trails through the dunes, so you’re welcome to walk anywhere that you’d like.
Mid-Day at Great Sand Dunes National Park
If Medano Creek is flowing when you’re visiting—usually between late May and late July—relax here for a bit after you’re doing frolicking in the dune field.
The icy cold water will feel fantastic after a long morning of hiking and sledding in the dunes!
The water moves fairly quickly, but it’s shallow, so it’s great for kids to splash around in.
If Medano Creek hasn’t started running yet, or if you’re not feeling like playing in the water, head back to the parking area.
Here, you can get changed in the dressing areas or shower off.
NOTE: The dressing areas are just large rooms—one for men and one for women—without individual stalls. The showers are outdoor without any privacy. Both are great for a quick rinse or change after the dunes, but don’t expect a full shower experience here. It’s also important to note that the showers are only available during the summer months.
This area also has toilets.
There are picnic tables located to the right of the showers and changing area, and many are well-shaded.
Since the park doesn’t have any food trucks or restaurants, this picnic area is your best bet for lunch. Just remember to pack a picnic!
Picnic table near the Dunes Parking Lot
Afternoon at Great Sand Dunes National Park
After your meal, it’s time to explore a couple of other areas within Great Sand Dunes National Park.
I recommend heading to the visitors center next.
Hiking or Driving to the Visitors Center?
You can do this in one of two ways:
Driving the 1/4 mile or so from the Dunes Parking Lot to the visitors center, or
Hike the 1/2 mile Dunes Access Trail from the Dunes Parking Lot to the back of the visitors center.
There are a couple of things to think about as you decide which route is best for you.
If you leave the Dunes Parking Lot at mid-day and want to return anytime in the afternoon, you’re going to struggle to find a parking space again. Be prepared to wait and drive the loop multiple times until you can find someone who is leaving.
If you think you’re going to return to hike in the dunes or play in Medano Creek again, keep your car in the Dunes Parking Lot and then hike to the visitors center.
If you’re visiting in the low season and/or you know for sure you aren’t going to come back to this area of the park, go ahead and move your car. The visitors center parking lot is even smaller than the Dunes Parking Lot, but people move in and out more quickly at the visitors center. You still might have to circle the lot, but it won’t take as long.
One final thing to consider: as with hiking in the desert anywhere between April and September, the Dunes Access Trail is hot with zero canopy. Bring water and a hat if you choose to approach the visitors center this way.
Things to Do at the Great Sand Dunes National Park Visitors Center
The author’s kids work on their Great Sand Dunes National Park Junior Ranger books
The visitors center here is small—though not as small as the one at Black Canyon of the Gunnison!
It will also likely be full of visitors, as many people come to Great Sand Dunes simply to view the dune field from the visitors center and then leave.
(Don’t be that person as there is SO much more to see here.)
Of course, there are phenomenal views from the visitors center’s back porch, and I highly recommend stopping to take a couple (or several dozen) photos from this vantage point while you’re here.
Your kids can also pick up their Junior Ranger booklets here. There’s a small table in the center’s back left corner where kids can complete their booklets in the air conditioning.
We found that the booklets here were easier than at some of the other western parks—Glacier, I’m looking at you!—and completing them was attainable within an hour or so using the park brochure.
I think that the powers that be at Great Sand Dunes National Park know that most families are coming and out in just a day or two here, so they’ve adjusted the expectations accordingly.
There’s also a ranger on duty at the information desk who just does Junior Ranger swearings-in during the peak hours and summer weekends. Be sure to grab that badge before you leave!
Don’t know what a Junior Ranger booklet is or why you’d want to get one? Check out all of my tips and suggestions in my national parks for beginners post!
The start of the Sand Sheet Loop
You can find the Sand Sheet Loop behind the visitors center, which is a short, quarter-mile long trail that offers up both uninterrupted views of the dune field and information on native plants, ecology, and geology.
Interpretive display inside the visitors center
Back inside, you can orient yourself to the park’s unique ecosystems by viewing the display about the native animals you might see, or by watching the short park film.
If you need a patch, t-shirt, sticker, or other souvenir, the bookstore is compact but filled with great options. My daughter discovered the first book in Aaron Johnson’s National Park Mystery Series here. If your kid likes reading and the national parks, this middle grade series is one I recommend.
Montville Nature Trail
The day has flown by, I’m sure, but if you’re still looking for a bit more adventure before you leave the park, head over to the Mosca Pass parking lot. Here, you’ll find the trailhead for both the Montville Nature Trail and the Mosca Pass Trail.
While it’s a bit late in the day to start the 7-mile Mosca Pass Trail (that’s something you can back and do on a longer trip!), the Montville Nature Trail is only a half-mile round trip, and offers up some forest shade, which is great for a hot afternoon.
This area was once a small community, and there’s a free pamphlet at the trailhead that I recommend grabbing. The information inside provides historical context for the hike.
The hike is a bit steep in areas, gaining about 200 feet in the quarter-mile ascent. However, you’ll be able to get some great views of the dune field from the end of the Montville Nature Trail!
After completing the hike, you can head back to the dune fields from some late afternoon and sunset views, or head out to your next adventure!
Keep in mind that there’s much, much more to do at Great Sand Dunes and in this area if you are able to come back on a longer trip. Consider adding on a hike to nearby Zapata Falls, where a creek is fed by a block of ice hanging next to a waterfall.
Tips for Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park
The author’s kids in Medano Creek at the base of the dune field
Go early.
Lines at the entrance in mid-summer can be over an hour long, and that’s no way to spend a chunk of your single day here.
The locals know when Medano Creek is flowing, and that’s a huge draw for a hot summer day in the middle of an otherwise arid area of Colorado.
Those cars, combined with the 500,000 visitors who flock to marvel at the dune field each year, add up to a lot of traffic.
Unlike at some of the more centrally located parks, Great Sand Dunes has a small number of visitor amenities, and that includes the entrance station. You’ll find just 2 kiosks with rangers checking cars in here.
Be prepared with your annual pass (if you have one, and I highly recommend you do!), or payment option to hurry the line along.
Going early also means you’ll beat the heat on the dunes if you’re hiking or sand sledding. You’ll also get your pick of the spots along Medano Creek!
Parking is limited.
As you approach the park from State Road 150, the dunes seem almost impossibly high. Given the size of the dune field, it’s a shock to realize just how limited the parking areas are once you’re in the park.
There are only a handful of public parking areas:
the visitors center lot (about 60 spots, including a handful of pull-through spots for RVs),
the Dunes parking lot (about 150 spots for cars and 12 for RVs and trailers),
a parking area at Mosca Pass trailhead (about 20 spots),
the ampitheatre parking area (about 20 spots), and
the parking area for the group campsites (about 20 spots near the Willington Ditch trailhead).
Given that the park sees a half million visitors a year, most of them in the late spring and summer, you can see why parking can become a problem during peak times.
Going early does alleviate some of these issues. On our last visit on an early June weekend, we managed to nab a parking spot in the Dunes parking area before 9 PM. By noon, the lot was filled up and people were circling.
Bring your own food.
Much like Congaree National Park or Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, you’re on your own here when it comes to food.
The only thing you’ll find onsite are a couple of flavors of beef jerky in the park’s bookstore, and that’s not enough to sustain you for a full day of outdoor adventure.
If you’re looking for a sit-down restaurant, you have exact one option within easy driving distance: The Oasis, which is a fast-casual restaurant attached to the Great Sand Dunes Lodge and RV Park. It’s about 3 miles from the entrance to the national park.
It has crowd favorites like burgers, fries, Navajo tacos, and biscuits and gravy, but I think it’s pricey for what you get (nearly $15 for biscuits and gravy). They’ve got a captive audience, so I imagine that’s partially the reasoning for the cost.
Beyond that you have to drive to and from Alamosa getting lunch, which could easily take 90 minutes to 2 hours of your day. Don’t waste time doing that.
Instead of eating out, pack a picnic and enjoy sandwiches, drinks, and snacks at the park. This means you don’t have to leave, you’ll have lunch with a view, and you save money.
If you need to grab groceries, the closest full service store is the Saveway in Alamosa, which has everything from bakery goods to a pharmacy.
Pack appropriate shoes.
You don’t want to wear flip flops to this park, despite the amount of sand you’re going to encounter.
That sand is hot, and you’re going to be walking a lot in the dune field. Walking long distances + flip flops = blisters.
Instead, I’d recommend a sturdier shoe. I wore my Keen Newport H2 hiking sandals, which were great. They let the sand flow out of my shoe, while still protecting my feet from the hot sand. And, when it was time to splash in Medano Creek, the neoprene interior doesn’t stick to my skin, and it dries quickly.
If you’re planning to hike all the way to Star Dune, or deep into the dune field, you might consider an ankle-length (or higher) hiking boot. These will protect your feet even more as you get into that hot sand. The only downside is when some of that sand makes its way into your socks.
Stay hydrated.
The dune field is hot, and there’s nowhere to escape from the sun while you’re hiking, sand sledding, or sand boarding.
The climate in Colorado is dry, and that combined with the heat during the peak season here, means you’ll be sweating a lot.
Bring a gallon or two of water with you in the park, plus electrolyte drinks and/or salty snacks. Take breaks, wear sunscreen, and listen to your body.
I’d also recommend wearing a sun shirt to further combat the sun’s rays and protect your skin. My kids have this Willit sun shirt, which is lightweight and cool.
Bring your own sand toys.
Whether you want to relax by Medano Creek or try to sand sledding, you’re going to need to come prepared.
Great Sand Dunes National Park doesn’t rent or sell beach chairs, sand boards, sand sleds, sand pails, or anything of the sort.
You can rent or buy sand boards and sand sleds at several places in and around Alamosa. The closest place to the park is The Oasis.
We stayed at the Alamosa KOA, which rented out both sand sleds and sand boards for a reasonable price.
Be prepared to walk to the dunes.
The long stretch between the parking lot and the dune field
Unlike at White Sands National Park, where the dunes are RIGHT THERE when you get out of your car, you’re going to have to work for that experience at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
In fact, the dune field is close to a mile from the parking area!
You have to leave the parking area, go down into the Medano Creek bed, walk across the wide expanse where the water flows in the warmer months, and then only will you get to the smallest dunes.
You’ll be doing this with sand boards, coolers, water bottles, and kids in tow, too, so it can be slow going. If you’re traveling with someone who has mobility issues, there isn’t a paved area or boardwalk where they can descend into the dune field, and they’ll need to stay in the parking area or view it from the back of the visitors center.
Late spring and early summer are for splashing around.
Medano Creek is made of snow melt, and turns into a cold—but fun—spot to relax on hot days.
The water is bracingly cold as it flows directly out of the mountains behind the park. (Those same mountains are a major contributing factor as to why the dunes exist in the first place!)
You’ll have to cross the creek to get to the dune field, and there’s no way around that. Prepare to get your feet and shoes wet as you cross both to and from the parking lot into the dune field.
If you’d rather linger in this section of the park, you can bring beach chairs, a tent, beach toys, and the like to keep your family happy. Just make sure that you carry everything out at the end of the day.
Peak creek flow is between early May and early June. During this time, you’ll even be able to see tiny waves rolling down the water as the snow melt reaches its highest levels.
