Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
Location:	Colorado USA
Nearest city:	Pueblo, CO
Coordinates:	37°49′0″N, 105°31′0″W
Area:	84,670 acres (343 km²)
Established:	September 13, 2004
Visitation:	249,923 (in 2003)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve became a United States National Park by an act of Congress on September 13, 2004. It is in the southern part of the American state of Colorado, in the American Southwest. The park contains approximately 85,000 acres (343 km²). The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Broadly, a wilderness area is a region where the land is left in a state where human modifications are minimal; that is, as a wilderness. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Image File history File links US_Locator_Blank. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... Pueblo is a city located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... Yosemite National Park in the United States. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... The Southwest region of the United States is drier than the adjoining Midwest in weather; the population is less dense and, with strong Spanish-American and Native American components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ...

Natural History

The sand dunes rise close to about 750 feet (230 m) from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, covering about 19,000 acres (78 km²). They are the tallest sand dunes in North America. Anyone who visits the dunes has to wonder, "Where did such a bizarre feature come from? Why here?" They trace to perhaps 12,000 years ago. Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... San Luis Valley is a large broad alpine valley in south-central Colorado. ... The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States. ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

The dunes were formed from sand deposits of the Rio Grande River and its tributaries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. Over the ages, westerly winds have picked up sand particles as they flew over the Rocky Mountains from the river flood plain. As the wind lost power before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. This continues, and the dunes are slowly enlarging by the wind that daily changes the shape of the dunes. There are areas of black sand which are deposits of magnetite, a crystalline black oxide of iron. This article is about the river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... White Goat Wilderness Area, Alberta, Canada The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Flood Plain along Lynches River Johnsonville, South Carolina Showing high water mark on tupelo and cypress trees In geography, a flood plain is a plain formed of sediment, typically dropped by a river. ... The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States. ... Magnetite is a ferromagnetic mineral form of iron(II,III) oxide, with chemical formula , one of several iron oxides and a member of the spinel group. ... Quartz crystal A crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are packed in a regularly ordered, repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. ... An oxide is a chemical compound of oxygen with other chemical elements. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ...

Great Sand Dunes

The sand dunes form because as the wind blows sand and small rocks across the valley and up against Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the wind slows and drops the debris. There are several streams flowing on the perimeter of the dunes. The streams erode the edge of the dune field, and sand is carried downstream. The water disappears into the ground, depositing sand on the surface. Winds pick up the deposits of sand, and blow them up onto the dune field once again. Got from http://www. ... Got from http://www. ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ... The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado in the United States. ...

Digging a few inches into the dunes even at 750 feet (230 meters) above the valley floor reveals wet sand. If the streams were to dry up, the dunes would disappear; in fact part of the motivation of turning the Monument into a Park in 2000 was the extra protection of the water, which Colorado's cities and agriculture covet.

It's very easy to experience the dune-building process. This is a very windy region, as hikers on the Sand Dunes will attest, as on many days they will be pelted by sand and even small rocks when hiking on the dunes. The wind carries sand and rocks from many tens of miles away.

Other features

View from a high dune

According to the National Park Service web site below (references), the park also contains "alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands — all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species." Download high resolution version (554x720, 71 KB)Another image of the Great Sand Dunes Got from [1], which advertises This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (554x720, 71 KB)Another image of the Great Sand Dunes Got from [1], which advertises This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States government agency that deals with U.S. National Parks and U.S. National Monuments. ... In physical geography, tundra is an area where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. ... Species About 35; see text. ... Species About 115. ... Species Populus adenopoda Populus alba Populus grandidentata Populus sieboldii Populus tremula Populus tremuloides Aspens are trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the poplar genus Populus sect. ... Species Populus deltoides L. Populus fremontii [[]] Populus nigra L. The cottonwoods are three species of poplars in the section Aegiros of the genus Populus, native to North America, Europe and western Asia. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ...

One of the most unusual features of the park happens at Medano Creek, which borders the east side of the Dunes and is located next to the Visitor Center and Bookstore.

Because fresh sand continually falls in the creek, Medano Creek never finds a permanent and stable streambed. Small under-water sand dunes that act like dams continually form, and break down. So waders in the stream see surges--which look like waves--of water flowing downstream at intervals of just a few seconds to a minute or more. In a high-water year, these surges can be as much as a foot in height, so Colorado has a stream with something that resembles ocean waves. Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 451 km 612 km 0. ...

The creek also has great sand for building sand-castles, and visitors take advantage of that. Based on visitor activity, the creek is almost as popular as the dunes themseles.

Access

Getting to the dunes requires walking across the wide and shallow Medano Creek, which only flows spring to early summer. Many run up the dunes, simply for the fun of rolling down again. Some ski the dunes. Members of the US Air Force skiing (and snowboarding) at Keystone Resorts 14th Annual SnoFest An alpine skier Deep powder skiing Skiing is the activity of gliding over snow using skis (originally wooden planks, now usually made from fiberglass or related composites) strapped to the feet with ski bindings. ...

Hiking is permitted, with the warning that the sand can get hot in the summer, up to 140 Fahrenheit (~60 Celsius). The area gets snow in the winter. Some go on pack trips with horses. Beautiful natural scenes are common hiking destinations Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... It has been suggested that Centigrade be merged into this article or section. ... The snow in Utah is world famous. ...

The closest city is Alamosa, Colorado, though Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and Albuquerque, New Mexico are not far off. Consult the references for more information. Alamosa is a city located in Alamosa County, Colorado. ... Pueblo is a city located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... Downtown Colorado Springs skyline. ... Nickname: The Mile-High City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Duke City Motto: Official website: http://www. ...

Park history

This landscape shot captures the dunes--750 feet (230 meters) tall.

The dunes and surrounding area were designated a National Monument in 1932. On November 22, 2000, United States President Bill Clinton signed the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000, aiming at ultimate national park status, after more land was acquired. Image File history File links Colorados Great Sand Dunes, from the NPSs web site on this park, Images on this web site may be used without permission, File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article discusses national monuments in the context of the United States. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on Friday. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

External links and references

• Official site: Great Sand Dunes National Park
• The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
• U.S. National Monuments on Great Sand Dunes
• DesertUSA on the Sand Dunes
• AmericanSouthwest.net on the Sand Dunes
• Visitor Study .pdf file
• Some photos of the Sand Dunes, Images may freely be used for any purpose whatsoever.
• Photos of Great Sand Dunes National Park
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - National Parks Gallery

National Parks of the United States

Acadia | American Samoa | Arches | Badlands | Big Bend | Biscayne | Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Bryce Canyon | Canyonlands | Capitol Reef | Carlsbad Caverns | Channel Islands | Congaree | Crater Lake | Cuyahoga Valley | Death Valley | Denali | Dry Tortugas | Everglades | Gates of the Arctic | Glacier | Glacier Bay | Grand Canyon | Grand Teton | Great Basin | Great Sand Dunes | Great Smoky Mountains | Guadalupe Mountains | Haleakala | Hawaii Volcanoes | Hot Springs | Isle Royale | Joshua Tree | Katmai | Kenai Fjords | Kings Canyon | Kobuk Valley | Lake Clark | Lassen Volcanic | Mammoth Cave | Mesa Verde | Mount Rainier | North Cascades | Olympic | Petrified Forest | Redwood | Rocky Mountain | Saguaro | Sequoia | Shenandoah | Theodore Roosevelt | Virgin Islands | Voyageurs | Wind Cave | Wrangell-St. Elias | Yellowstone | Yosemite | Zion The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the National Park Service. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Image:Delicatearch. ... Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, preserves 242,756 acres (982 km²) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. ... Big Bend National Park is a national park located in Texas, USA. For more than 1,000 miles (1600 km) the Rio Grande / Río Bravo forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. ... Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead, FL. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. ... Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. ... Canyonlands National Park, located near Moab, Utah and the Arches National Park, was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. ... Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains the southeastern corner of New Mexico, Eddy County. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Located in South Carolina, the 34 mi² (89 km²) Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States but one of the smallest national parks. ... Crater Lake National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Oregon whose most famous feature is Crater Lake. ... Cuyahoga River in the park Categories: Stub | National parks of the United States | Ohio landmarks ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid national park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County, California, USA with a small extension and exclave (Devils Hole) in Nevada. ... Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. ... Dry Tortugas National Park is a United States National Park, located in the Dry Tortugas islands of the Florida Keys. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. ... Glacier National Park is a National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of Americas oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park, located in east-central Nevada near its border with Utah. ... The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains. ... Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. ... Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the town of Hot Springs. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Isle Royale. ... A Joshua tree silhouetted by a rock Joshua Tree National Park is located in south-eastern California. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kenai Fjords National Park is a United States National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska near the town of Seward. ... This Article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon, Northern Territory. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kobuk Valley National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Alaska north of the Arctic Circle. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in south-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most-extensive cave system known in the world. ... Mesa Verde National Park is a national park, located in southwest Colorado. ... Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. ... Looking toward Magic Mountain from the Cascade Pass trail North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Washington state. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, along Interstate 40 between Holbrook and Navajo. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States system of national parks. ... Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Piedmont region of Virginia. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 11 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-tee, IPA ) is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. ... Zion National Park is located near Springdale, Utah in the southwestern United States. ...