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Home » United States

Driving Medano Pass & Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park

Created On: August 26, 2016  |  Updated: September 23, 2022  |   22 Comments

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links from which we may make commission from. As always, we only recommend places and products we love! In addition, we try our best to keep our articles up-to-date with current prices, locations, and hours of operation however we always recommend double-checking when planning a trip as these items can change frequently.

Table of Contents show
1 Driving Medano Pass & Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park
2 Taking the Medano Pass Primitive Road to the Sand Dunes
3 Arriving at Great Sand Dunes National Park

Driving Medano Pass & Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park

From Colorado Springs a trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park is a breeze. While you can get there via the highway we decided to take the Medano primitive road as our route into the park. This primitive road turned out to be a beautiful 22 miles of wildflowers, dirt, gravel, creek crossings, and sand paths.


Taking the Medano Pass Primitive Road to the Sand Dunes

Road to Great Sand Dunes National Park
Wildflowers along the Medano Pass Road.

First of all, Medano Pass should not be attempted by any vehicle that is not 4WD, due to high clearance rocks/dips and water crossings. When we made the trek in July, the water was only 6-12″ at each crossing but it is recommended to check the creek conditions before you make the drive.

It is also recommended for some vehicles (those with regular road tires) to reduce air pressure to 20psi in each tire to navigate the sand. There is a place to refill your tires at the western entrance of the park. You can enter the trail either from the west (from the welcome center) or from the east. We decided to enter from the east due to departing from Colorado Springs.

From Colorado Springs you head due south on 25 until you reach Walsenburg. There we fueled up and took highway 69 west to Gardner. Reset your odometer and drive approximately 8 miles west of Gardner on 69 and you will see a forest service sign with “Medano Pass Road” noted (County Road 559).

The first 5 miles or so on the trail are mild dirt and gravel roads, rarely requiring 4WD, and passing near private property and national forest. We decided to enter “Medano Pass” into Google Maps to keep ourselves oriented as we continued on even though your GPS will not take you this way by default.

The next 5 miles were a wooded trail with varying degrees of incline, sharp turns, and narrow trail. The road was rocky but nothing too daunting. The following 5-mile stretch was more in a plain area with the road having a lot of vegetation on the side of the trail. This is where there were some cutbacks across the creek and where you start to see some of the campsites.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

This was the most tedious portion of the trail due to the slow going and the high amount of traffic. At the end of this segment, there was a rest area with restrooms, which is where the sand portion (and last ~5-mile stretch) begins.

The key to maneuvering through the sand is to keep your vehicle moving and not stop on soft sand. There are great views of the dunes on this last portion of the trail which ends at the camping ground near the Great Sand Dune welcome center.

READ MORE: 2 Days in Colorado Springs


Arriving at Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park
Of course, we had to take a few scenic photos before sandboarding.

After we exited the Medano Pass road, we drove to the Great Sand Dunes Oasis, which is a little gas station about 5 minutes from the park down Highway 150. There we rented a sandboard for $20 and headed back to the park (there are also sand sleds available for the same price).

Sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
Some of the dunes were really steep! We started off on some of the shorter hills before moving to the bigger ones!

Great Sand Dunes National Park is 85,000 acres of sandy hills and is home to the tallest sand dune in North America (750′).

Depending on how much rain there has been, there are streams that flow around the dunes and are popular for cooling off while visiting the dunes – which was a much welcome reprieve whenever the temperatures were well in the 90s when we visited.

Sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado
Trying to hold our GoPro and staying balanced!

Be aware that during the summer months the sand can reach temperatures of 150 degrees, so bring appropriate footwear, and don’t forget a pair of socks if you’re going to be trying sandboarding or sand sledding!

I would also recommend bringing a pair of sandals that have a strap so you can walk up the dunes easier while also protecting your feet.

Sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado
Logan trying sandboarding for the first time!

Climbing up the dunes can be quite exhausting, especially if you continually do so while sandboarding or sledding. Every step you take up the dune, the sand causes you to slide down, so be sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated!

Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado
We had a blast on the sand dunes.

Overall, this is one of the most beautiful deserts and a unique national park. Great Sand Dunes National Park is an awesome day trip and driving Medano Pass is well worth it too! So, who’s ready to do some sandboarding!?


Go sandboarding, hiking, and explore the beauty of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. www.pagesoftravel.org

posted in: Colorado, National Parks, North America, United States

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Carmen says

    September 25, 2016

    First of all, your pictures are gorgeous! I don’t know how well I would fair in the that heat. It looked brutal!

    Reply
  2. arnav2806 says

    September 25, 2016

    Thanks for the lovely info.You should definitely visit India sometimes. There’s a cold desert as well as a hot desert in India.

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      September 25, 2016

      We hope to make it to India someday. We love how beautiful sand dunes can be! The cold desert sounds much nicer than the 105 degrees this one was!

      Reply
  3. Lindsay says

    September 26, 2016

    Wow! Absolutely stunning photos! I’ve never spent much time exploring Colorado, but this has definitely made it to my USA ‘must see’ list! Thanks for the detail and directions 🙂

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      September 26, 2016

      Thanks Lindsay! The Medano Pass was somewhat challenging to navigate so Logan decided it would be best to incorporate some directions. We are working on a video so people can get a feel for the terrain as well. Definitely stop there for a day or so! It’s well worth it. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Lisa says

    September 27, 2016

    Loved your article. I went to the dunes on the NC Outer Banks this summer. Great tips about footwear, not only did I have flip flops on, but my feet were sunburned from a day on the beach so I just could not spend much time out there on the burning sand. I would love to go to the dunes you were at and also White Sands National Park in NM. I know my son would love to sled down them. Would be fun to blog about all the different dunes areas in the US.

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      September 27, 2016

      I definitely understand! We had some bad sunburn on our feet and toes after sandboarding for a few hours. Many kids were there enjoying it just fine, it was us adults that had such a hard time dealing with the heat! Go figure. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Marinel says

    September 27, 2016

    Very nice! I’m an avid hiker/trekker and only been to a few spots in CO such as Longs Peak among others. I heard about this part of CO but since I live in the east coast it isn’t easy to fly back to CO to visit. I found your blog useful and if I ever get a chance to go to CO again, I would love to check this place out. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      September 27, 2016

      I’m so glad you found this inspiring! We love hiking and are always looking for new trails or places to visit. If you are able to fly into Denver it isn’t too far from Colorado Springs. It would definitely be worth a day trip! 🙂

      Reply
  6. sudiptode says

    September 28, 2016

    Surfing on the sands sounds like a really brilliant idea. Can you tell us an appropriate time of the year to try this out?

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      September 28, 2016

      Sure thing! We went late July/Early August and it was amazing weather but the sand was incredibly hot (105 degrees F). I would say that May-September would be idle but visit in the early morning if you are going in July/August. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Agnes says

    October 2, 2016

    Beautiful pictures! Sand boarding seems like so much fun, though I’d probably fall more than ride. And the view of the mountains on the back is just a cherry on the top of the cake! Would definitely like to visit.

    Reply
    • kallsypage says

      October 2, 2016

      Agnes, so glad you found this inspiring! I hope you do visit some day. I was actually surprised by sand boarding. I’m not the best at any type of board sport but this came much more easily. However, you can also rent a sand sled! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Nicole says

    January 4, 2017

    Love your dress! This looks like a really cool place to visit. I didn’t make it there when I was in Colorado

    Reply
  9. dentjuli says

    January 5, 2017

    Your photos are beautiful!! Great Sand Dunes looks like an amazing place! 🙂 I’ve been to Colorado Springs a few times before, so I don’t know how I missed it!

    Reply
  10. Luci says

    January 5, 2017

    First of all, that header photo is STUNNING. That alone is inspiring me to get out to the desert for my own desert princess photoshoot 😉 I especially loved reading about the Medano Pass Primitive Road. What a fun adventure to get off the beaten path and explore a relatively untouched wilderness!

    Reply
  11. Lena Ameri says

    January 5, 2017

    In love with the photo of Kallsy with the long dress! AMAZING!! Sand boarding looks like so much fun! We want to try that! I think we’d be terrible at it though. Sounds like such a fun day!

    Reply
  12. Erin says

    January 6, 2017

    I had no idea this was in Colorado! It looks amazing, it’s definitely going on my list. Awesome!

    Reply
  13. Megan says

    January 8, 2017

    I went here on my way to Florida and loved it! It was way harder to climb the dunes than I expected, but it was totally worth it.

    Reply
  14. Alex Cote says

    January 9, 2017

    I never heard of this park in Colorado, though I spent many summers in Teluride Colorado! I love the picture of you in the dress, you look so gorgeous!

    Reply
  15. Sam says

    February 27, 2017

    Lovely photos! We visited the Great Sand Dunes during a roadtrip through New Mexico and Colorado in 2015 – it was incredible! Such an otherworldly landscape. And where my Teva sandals bit the dust – tons of sand got between the two layers and stuck to the glue…from now on I only buy one piece sandals! Haha!

    Reply

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