The Great Sand Dunes

Epic is how I’d describe the Great Sand Dunes.  The kids and I are already planning our second trip.

Days before we left, Child 1 sprained his ankle pretty badly.  However, this tragic accident allowed us to get the full park experience!!

Spring, early summer, and fall are the best times to go.  The sand gets pretty hot in the heat of the summer.  We went in early May – the days were warm, and the evenings were cool – we needed the heater in the morning to warm up.  I can imagine that parking would become a problem in the busier times; however this was not a problem for us.

I planned this trip 6 months in advance (😲) Really though, in Colorado, and for the more popular parks, you need to plan well in advance.  The Great Sand Dunes are one of the top 20 parks in the US.

Picking the Perfect Campsite

One of my tips for finding the perfect camping spot is to ‘drive’ through the campground on Google Maps.  I have a larger rig (26 feet), a picky husband (who hates it being too hot, loud, etc), we like quiet parks (so the back is nice).  Colorado likes to mix seasons in one – spring can be hot, or snowy, or both within days.  If you aren’t a native to CO, it’s a good idea to pack for all seasons in one trip – we experienced near freezing temps mid July last year in Florissant NP.

I ‘drove’ through all the camp sites prior to booking at Piñon Flats Campground.  Some of the sites are pull offs, barely large enough for a Bambi Airstream (about 16 feet).  Ours was supposed to be a pull through; it would have been if we had a smaller trailer.  As it turned out, it was easy to back in. The rangers did ask how we got in! 😜 “We backed in.”  (Some oddball yelled “good luck!” when we were parking.  Thanks buddy.)

The benefit to Google Maps is you can see what size rigs are in the sites, and get an idea of how it may work for yours.  I mapped out all the larger sites, narrowed them down by our crazy criteria (really, quiet sites are at the top of the list), and created a plan.

Because you have to book 6 months in advance, you may need to be flexible with your dates.  I was originally planning on going with a friend – she needed weekend dates.  June was completely booked.  So we had to back it up to May – turned out that the site I had my heart set on (which we stayed in) was ONLY available over my birthday.  The PERFECT b-day present to myself! (fun tid bit: my friend (who was planning on going with us) and I have birthdays 1 day apart.  Birthday Twins!!  She didn’t go because she has a baby…it was a bit chilly for tent camping with a wiggly baby).

Piñon Flats is a dry campground.  Sadly, we discovered that we’re near the end of the life with this battery.  It has served me/us well.  My beloved trailer was previously my fashion truck, and the battery was really used in all seasons.  When I closed my boutique, I turned it back into a camper.  Our trip was a test to how much life is left in the battery…I need to upgrade the battery and add solar at some point in the near future. 😬

We had an excellent opportunity to practice conservation!  😜  Really, it was ok, because flexibility has become my middle name (and really any RVer’s middle name), and the weather was perfect!  We didn’t need the lights on for long.  We never ran out of power.

If you like showers everyday, you’ll want to plan ahead, or bring an outdoor shower.  We don’t have a shower in our trailer yet…that’s part of the re-renovation I need to work on!!  The bathrooms were clean, and flush potties.  We have a composting toilet, but prefer to use the campground facilities during the day.

If you like wifi with your camping experience, this may not be the best place for you to work and explore.  I was able to text.  Hubs was able to send photos, standing on a rock (reminded me of a Verizion commercial, “Can you hear me now?”), by the bathrooms. 😜

The good stuff: The sunsets in this park are off the hook.  I think the Rocky Mountain states have the BEST sunsets, and The Great Sand Dunes did NOT disappoint.  If you want a site with epic sunsets, sites 64 – 71 are the ones you want.

The first night, we had a soft sunset, with pinks and blues.

The second night was like a symphony of color!  Absolutely stunning!!!  Child 1 and I were hanging out at the campsite, while #2 and Dad were taking a walk, after dinner.

We noticed a doe across the road, so we went to look (at a safe distance.  Please remember that the wildlife can take better care of themselves without us interfering) The sun started to set, and #1 and I grabbed his crutches and we started running toward the loop (remember 64-71!?).  There were a few open sites, so we walked through to get these photos.  It was one of the most awe inspiring sunsets I’ve ever experience.  It was truly a holy moment – rivaled only with the total eclipse of 2017.  #1 kept trying to say something…but it was a time to just whisper and revel in the divine moment of heaven stooping down to touch earth.

I’ll let you take a few moments to experience the sunset…they have not been enhanced.

We had a dinner guest walk by our campsite (the perk of being on the back) the first night.  Luckily, our ferocious pup didn’t notice.

We forgot to bring bikes.  This is because Child 1’s injured ankle…Child 2 was very disappointed, and was further irritated when kids were riding THEIR bikes around the loop.  Mom fail.

We had plenty of shade…this was a big concern as these sites are dry.  There is a dump and fill station just outside the campground, but there aren’t any hookups.  The weather was perfect for the time of year.  But in Colorado, it really could go either way!!!  We could have had snow!

Site 60 is on the back of the campground; we had a doe visit us around dinner time.  What a treat!

I was disappointed that there weren’t any ranger talks while we were there (beginning of May)….Oh well.

Getting the Full Experience

The Great Sand Dunes NP has 3 Junior Ranger programs.  We are avid fans of the Junior Ranger program!  Who can resist a badge?!  They have 3, and if you stay overnight, you stand a good chance of being able to finish all 3.  As homeschoolers, I’m always looking for an opportunity to share a love of learning with my kids.

The regular Junior Ranger can be done over lunch,  The Night Sky program was a bit more challenging.  It is the same program for all the Dark Sky parks…it was tricky to fit it in because we had cloud cover one night.  The benefit if you don’t finish the Night Sky Junior Ranger, is you can turn it in at any Dark Sky NP.  We luckily finished (by the skin of our teeth).

 

 

Then there is an explorer backpack you can check out, with an anemometer (measuring wind speed – it can be quite windy on the dunes), paper to record your discoveries.  A magnet to play with the magnetite.  And a few other things.  These were our faves though.  (Also take a look at this link for educator activities with magnetite.)
This Jr Ranger program is very much discovery based, and not a fill in the blank program. You will still be able to finish in an afternoon/day…but do expect that you’ll need to put more effort into this one.  However, you’ll be rewarded with discovering wind speed.  Be sure to play with the magnet, and see how much magnetite you can collect (this was a highlight for Child 1…since his mobility was limited).  And compare that with how much you can pick up in the water.

Be sure that you plan for the dunes to be hot or chilly – we experienced both…within a few minutes.  Oh, you may also want to have winter coats handy for evenings as it can be chilly. Last year, we had near winter temps in Florissant NP in the middle of the summer!!  We needed our heater in the morning.  Extra blankets came in handy at night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you, or someone in your party, is in a wheelchair or sprains their ankle, the Park has dunes wheelchairs.  The large wheels make pushing on the sand easier.  It was still slightly challenging.  Crutches are REALLY hard to use, as they sink in the sand.  You just need to ask at the visitor center for a wheelchair.  You’ll have until the close of the day to borrow it.  THANK YOU Friend of GSDNP for these wheelchairs!!! ❤️❤️

If it’s not busy when you go, you should ask about Fulgurite. 😉  Fulgurite occurs when lightning strikes magnetite..spoiler: after the lightning hits the magnetite, the resulting fulgurite is no longer magnetic!!
After talking with one ranger, we learned that the rangers think there are more lightning strikes in the Sand Dunes because of the magnetite!  They are working on having a study done on this! Fascinating!!

We weren’t able to take any hikes, because of a gimp leg….but we hear that Zapata Falls is a GREAT hike.

We also didn’t rent the dunes sleds…also because of a gimp leg.  They are available at the Oasis gift shop, just outside the park. We plan on returning, and giving a full report at a later date. 😉

On our last day we mostly finished up our Junior Ranger programs (priorities!!) and headed out – it was about 4 hours from our home, and wanted plenty of travel time. We turned in our Junior Ranger books, backpack, got stuff for lunch on the road.  I stepped out of the trailer, and saw this beauty!  The perfect ending to a wonderful trip!  I hope you have an amazing trip, and make loads of memories!!

Faves:

Child 1: playing in the sand, the sunset, riding in the wheelchair, and learning about magnetite.

Child 2: like pushing Child 1(who knew that this would be a highlight?!), camping in the trailer, digging in the sand (our beach lover), the breeze coming through the trailer, getting Junior Ranger Badges, learning about magnetite.

Mom: the sunsets, wildlife, the dark, dark sky

The Stats:

Campsite: #60
Dates: Beginning of May 2018
Weather: Perfect.  High 70s – Low 80s for the day. Mid-High 40s for the night.
Elevation: 8273 ft
Cost: $20 per night
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5 out of 5 stars)  Months later, the kids are still talking about this trip.  We’ve had a few since this time, and this was BY FAR their favorite!!