62 Parks Traveler听started with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park in one year. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerd听听saved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and she听wanted to see them before it鈥檚 too late.
Pennington has returned to traveling and is committed to following CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of herself and others. She鈥檚 visiting new parks as they open and closely adhering to best safety practices.
At 6 A.M., I ran my fingers across the cocoon of a thick wool blanket to turn off the dental drill of my iPhone鈥檚 alarm ringing in my ear. Brian, my boyfriend, practically leapt听from his slumber and bonked听his head against the insulated metal ceiling of my minivan, stunned awake.听Ordinarily, being a dirtbag means doing what you want, when you want, but on that hot June day,听we had听a special objective. It was听summit day.
We sped听across the vast desert of southeastern Colorado as听the Sangre de Cristo Mountains loomed large ahead of us. Thank God our mission isn鈥檛 one of those snaggletoothed fourteeners,听I thought to myself. We鈥檙e only climbing Star Dune.
Located听in the middle of , Star Dune is the tallest dune in North America. It stands 750 feet from base to summit and is a prized peak for any serious hiker visiting this destination.
I parked my van in the main lot听near the dune field, strapped on my fully loaded daypack, and set off with my partner for an eight-mile off-trail听adventure. Wanting to skip the hubbub surrounding the high dune on听the first ridge, we opted for a higher, more remote听peak. The park鈥檚 directions from the parking lot to Star Dune were simple enough: Hike about two听miles south down the Medano听creekbed until the massive pyramid-shaped Star Dune comes into view. Follow a ridge to its summit.
As we made our way along the shallow听creekbed,听I felt听a wet squish of water听permeate my hiking boots while听I听tried to hop听from dry patch to dry patch,听careful not to soak my wool socks. A blister was the last thing I needed, with the hot morning sun already making me wish I鈥檇 worn shorts. I looked over at听Brian鈥檚 bare legs, envious.
At exactly two miles from the starting point, we turned to our right and saw听a colossal pyramid dune the color of burnt parchment. When I squinted my eyes just so, a slightly taller summit appeared to hover just beyond. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 gotta be it,鈥 I said. The two of us took a sharp turn toward the towering mounds of sand and galumphed up听them with about as much grace as a newborn buffalo.
Our progress听was often a series of two steps forward, one step back. That鈥檚 the maddening thing about hiking in sand鈥攋ust when you need support, it drops you like a worn-out push-up bra.
Half a mile up听the enormous dune field, we came across听a set of footprints leading toward听the summit. They petered out after 100 yards听but were the push we needed to soldier on and up the final 300 vertical feet.
I clawed at the scalding sand with my fingertips to ascend a steep, 45-degree slope and stumbled the last听steps to the top. When I finally crested the ridge, my breath was coarse, and my head felt dizzy. I looked around at the expanse of dunes below me, their proportions and distances distorted by the harsh sun.
As I gazed out at the Sangre de Cristos听to the southeast, I noticed something peculiar off in the distance. Was it鈥? A dune higher than this one?
Brian sauntered up his听final few steps to the summit and quickly checked Google Maps听to confirm that, yes, that other distant dune was the highest in North America. We had come all this way only to climb the wrong one!
That said, we did get killer photos of the mountains, the park鈥檚 wilderness, and pristine, untouched sand dunes perfectly sculpted by wind and water. Maybe the dune we climbed was the perfect one after all.
62 Parks Traveler Great Sand Dunes Info
Size: 107,342 acres
Location: Southern Colorado
Created In: 1932 (national monument), 2004 (national park)
Best For: Dune sledding, hiking, stargazing, car camping
When to Go: Due to its high elevation, Great Sand Dunes is best visited in the summer (45 to 80 degrees) and fall (20 to 71 degrees). In the spring (21 to 66 degrees) and winter (9 to 39 degrees), the dunes are often covered in snow.
Where to Stay: 听is a great spot for visitors听looking to sleep within the park鈥檚 boundaries, especially if they wish to stay out late photographing the dunes at sunset. For the more ambitious, backpacking in the dunes and nearby mountains is also allowed鈥攂ut by permit only.
Mini 国产吃瓜黑料: In the late-spring and early-summer months, dipping your feet into the shallow waters of Great Sand Dunes鈥 famous Medano Creek is a fantastic way to cool off after a long day spent sledding down the sand. You can rent sleds (from $21) at听the听, four miles east of听the park entrance.
Mega 国产吃瓜黑料: 听Get an early start, then test out your stamina and navigation skills on this eight-mile off-trail trek that takes most hikers six听hours to complete. GPS is strongly recommended.