"Totally Unique and Unexpected!"
—park visitor
Welcome to the high elevation desert that is Great Sand Dunes! Does this landscape strike you as amazing, bizarre or totally out of place. If so, you’re not . . . — — Map (db m71050) HM
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) . . . — — Map (db m104717) HM
On Lane 6N, 1.2 miles west of State Highway 150, on the left when traveling west.
This landscape is the result of dramatic climate changes that affected plants, animals, and humans. In ancient times, large shallow lakes existed on today's valley floor, and American Indians of the Clovis culture pursued great herds of large . . . — — Map (db m160699) HM
On Lane 6N east of State Highway 17, on the left when traveling east.
In an attempt to settle unknown territory, the Mexican government offered a large gift of land, la merced, for anyone brave enough to attempt to settle the San Luis Valley. Mexican land grants made it possible for even a poor man to . . . — — Map (db m160677) HM
On Lane 6N, 1.2 miles west of State Highway 150, on the left when traveling west.
Pioneer conservationist
and founding member
of the Moffat - Hooper - Mosca
Service League for his many years
of dedicated service to the
preservation of the natural beauty
of the San Luis Valley — — Map (db m160692) HM
On Lane 6N east of State Highway 17, on the left when traveling east.
You have entered the land of the Río Bravo del Norte, the northernmost outpost of sixteenth century Spain. To the Spanish people, the San Luis Valley was a wild and unexplored place known only to the Native people. Amidst the beauty and towering . . . — — Map (db m160674) HM
On Lane 6N east of State Highway 17, on the left when traveling east.
Travel the route of these explorers and read Lt. Pike’s own words from his journal.
U.S. Army Expedition to explore the United States new southwest boundary with New Spain.
The men:
Lt. Zebulon M. Pike Dr. John H. Robinson Sgt. . . . — — Map (db m160680) HM
On State Highway 150, 11.4 miles north of U.S. 160, on the left when traveling north.
29th January. Thursday. Finding the distance too great to attempt crossing immediately to the river, in a direct line, we marched obliquely to a copse of woods, which made down a considerable distance from the mountains. Distance 17 miles. Saw . . . — — Map (db m145393) HM
Different Life Zones Exist in the Mountains
Imagine climbing the mountain in front of you. You might notice it gets cooler as you ascend. As the temperature drops, moisture in the air condenses, precipitation increases, and creates different . . . — — Map (db m71056) HM
On Lane 6N, 1.2 miles west of State Highway 150, on the left when traveling west.
On January 27, 1807, U.S. Army Lt. Zebulon Pike and nine soldiers (affectionally called "Dam'd Set of Rascals" by Pike) crossed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains over Medano Pass to enter the territory of New Spain. On orders of his commander, Pike's . . . — — Map (db m160702) HM
You are about to step into the Great Sand Dunes Wilderness. Its mood changes with the seasons, from the spacious solitude of winter, to spring and summer fun and play. Whatever the season of your visit, this unexpected wilderness offers . . . — — Map (db m71057) HM
Mountains and passes were important in the formation
of the sand dunes.
You are looking at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Prevailing southwesterly winds carrying sand across the San Luis Valley were blocked by the mountains.
As the . . . — — Map (db m71055) HM
On Lane 6N, 1.2 miles west of State Highway 150, on the left when traveling west.
As you travel through these sandy grasslands, notice the bright white surface deposits visible along the highway to the west. The sabkha forms where sand is seasonally saturated by rising ground water. When the water evaporates away in late . . . — — Map (db m160687) HM
On Lane 6N, 1.2 miles west of State Highway 150, on the left when traveling west.
You are looking across a sandy grassland that is a vital part of the Great Sand Dunes geological system. The sand sheet lies between the dunefield and the sabkha. Its deepest portions may be remnants of an ancient lake system, but the surface is . . . — — Map (db m160700) HM
On Lane 6N east of State Highway 17, on the left when traveling east.
¡Bienvenidos! Caminantes!
Come! Take a walk with us. We know an old song, El Caminante, which tells of taking a long walk along the ancient roads. Like the first prehistoric inhabitants, you too are a ‘caminante’, or one who walks upon . . . — — Map (db m160668) HM
On Lane 6N east of State Highway 17, on the left when traveling east.
Ready or not, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, Hispano settlers (pobladores) of the San Luis Valley became Americans overnight. The pobladores of the large land grants were legally granted citizenship of the United . . . — — Map (db m160679) HM
On State Highway 150, 0.2 miles south of Visitor Center Entrance Driveway, on the left when traveling north.
On January 28, 1807, Lt. Zebulon Pike and his small band of tattered, hungry, foot-sore soldiers camped near here, having just crossed this snowy Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Under orders from General James Wilkinson to explore the southwestern . . . — — Map (db m71884) HM
