Picture-perfect Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado is filled with contradictions and superlatives: North America’s tallest sand dunes surrounded on three sides by the broad, windswept San Luis Valley, with a backside snuggled against the rugged, snowcapped Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Winter is a great time to visit with your camera.
Great Sand Dunes National Park can rattle your sense of geography in the most delightful of ways. In this section of southern Colorado, snow-capped alpine mountains share the horizon with undulating sand dunes drawing comparisons to both the Sahara Desert and the Swiss Alps. Beyond the initial geographic bewilderment, the mysterious national park has more surprises in store.