Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserveis located where the wide-open and dry expanse of the San Luis Valley meets the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At first glance, this Colorado national park seems an unusual place for North America’s tallest sand dunes. However, the unique geography plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining these towering dunes. Geologists explain that winds blowing across the San Luis Valley became trapped in the curve of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, resulting in a dynamic sediment movement that shaped the landscape we see today.