3 Best Hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve Overview

Though not exactly where you would expect to find the largest dunes in North America, Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park is an incredibly diverse experience, hundreds of millennia in the making. The park is one big sand box surrounded by green mountains – the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In addition to the hiking trails below, visitors have their choice of sand-boarding or sand-sledding down the large dunes. When Medano Creek is running in May and June, it even feels like you’re on a trip at the beach. The best hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park are below, though there are only about 50 miles of trails in the entire park. Keep in mind there are no formal trails in the sand and changes in the dunes happen often making distances and hiking times difficult to predict.

State	Colorado
Nearest Metro Area	Colorado Springs, CO
Area Size	149,028 acres
Established	March 17, 1932
Hiking Trails	48 miles

Trailhead Traveler’s Recommended Best Hikes in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

High Dune

This is probably the most popular destination in the dune field because it is the tallest dune in sight from the main parking lot though it is not the tallest in the park. Visitors make their way to the 699′ dune as best they can, up and over sandy ridges. Star Dune (750′), the tallest dune in the park, lies another 1.5 miles west of High Dune. There is no designated trails in the sand but you can start from the parking area off Sand Dunes Loop.

• 2.3 miles out and back
• 550′ elevation gain
• Moderate

Mount Herard Trail

Difficult hike that may not be worth it to many but from the summit of the 13,297′ tall Mount Herard, the views of the park and surrounding mountains are never-ending. On the way you will pass through lush meadows, forests, and Medano Lake. The trailhead can be accessed from the Medano Pass 4WD Road.

• 10.4 miles out and back
• 3700′ elevation gain
• Strenuous

Mosca Pass

Following Mosca Creek, this quiet trail climbs up through woods and meadows offering great views of the dune field. The trail is about 3.5 miles to the end of the pass and the views on your way back down make it all worthwhile. The trailhead can be accessed from the Great Sand Dunes Visitor Center.

• 6.9 miles out and back
• 1500′ elevation gain
• Strenuous

Featured Image: Mt Herard from Dunefield, Photo by Christian Collins