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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Mosca in Alamosa County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
 

Dimensions

Great Sand Dunes National Monument

 
 
Dimensions Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 15, 1993
1. Dimensions Marker
Inscription.
The scale of the Great Sand Dunes can be difficult to judge. The dunes you see from here are only the front lines of a sea of dunes that covers many square miles.

How far do the dunes extend into the distance? The dunes are 8 miles (13km) across. It would take a strong hiker 5 hours to cross them.

How high is the tallest dune? The highest dune rises nearly 700 feet (200m) –taller than a 50 story building.

How much sand is in the dunes? If all the sand was loaded into railroad cars, the train would be long enough to circle the globe more than 20 times. If the sand were spread out ankle-deep it would cover 1/10 of Colorado.

How large are the Sand Grains? The grains that make up the dunes are tiny, about 1mm in diameter, but most measure between 1/8 and 1/4 mm. Smaller particles blow away over the mountains.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.
 
Location. 37° 44.336′ N, 105° 31.025′ W. Marker is in Mosca, Colorado, in Alamosa County. Marker is on State Highway 150. The marker is near the Great Dunes National Monument parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mosca CO 81146, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Stepping into Wilderness (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Mountain Barrier (approx. half a mile away); Sangre de Cristo Ecosystem (approx. half a mile away); Zebulon Pike's "sand-hills" (approx. 0.6 miles away); A Landmark for People (approx. 2˝ miles away); "Totally Unique and Unexpected" (approx. 3.4 miles away); Understanding the Great Sand Dunes System: the Sand Sheet (approx. 7 miles away); Sounds of Silence (approx. 7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mosca.
 
The Great Sand Dunes image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 15, 1993
2. The Great Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 15, 1993
3. The Great Sand Dunes
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 25, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 235 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on June 25, 2017, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
 
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?

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Mar. 19, 2024