What a strange and unexpected place. I was advised to visit so we drove a bit out of our way to check out this previously unknown National Park. I’m glad we did.
Some people think the Dry Tortugas are off the radar of most tourists and Big Bend in Texas is about as unknown, much to my surprise but the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado?
Never heard of them.
We did Sleeping Bear in Michigan three years ago and I’ve traveled the desert southwest plenty over the years. And yes White Sands New Mexico is on the list but this is the country’s largest pile of sand. Here you have it:
Rusty loved it even if he had to be attached to me. I was amazed the National Park was okay with dogs on the dune (not all the way in but enough to get you up a hill).
The park is open 24 hours so our plan was to camp and get to the dunes at or near dawn to catch the light.
It turns out that the campground was full, checking the recreation.gov app it was clear there was no availability. However our constant companion iOverlander showed a free parking area thirty minutes from the park. We called the national park and they said we had access 24 hours so we parked at the spot humorously labeled UFO Highway Pulloff just north of the village of Hooper in the San Luis Valley.
It was windy and bleak such that even Rusty gave up sitting outdoors and we spent the afternoon waiting for rain and watching Endeavor on Prime on our iPad.
It was surprisingly comfortable confined as we were to GANNET2 but I was glad when it got dark and I could set my alarm for five am. Which is not to say it wasn’t equally bleak when I got us on the road around 5:30 on a frigid windy morning. What a place! And not a single UFO came by to say hello. 
My theory is they created a UFO sighting spot because life in the dry barren agricultural valley needs some drama injected into it. So, back to why we were here, why did this great sand dune thing occur? It turns out the valley was a lake millennia ago and after the lake dried out winds blew sand particles up the valley and they came to rest in what became the dunes.
I spotted the sign board on our way out of the park as we left a few hours after arriving. It’s an easy place to visit as you just drive in and turn left to the dunes parking lot. We arrived with half a dozen early birds on scene and one couple was actually finishing up sledding down the dunes. They said the sand was cold.
Rusty really was allowed on the sand and he had a blast dragging me at a gallop. That must have been a sight. After the dunes he wanted to check out the parking lot.
Changing rooms and cold showers (no thank you!).
A lovely picnic area was hidden in the shrubbery behind the parking lot. Apparently in rainy season the valley in front of the dunes can flood with rainwater runoff and the parking lot area is a bit of an oasis with greenery.
I made a discovery back here and brought GANNET2 back after Rusty was slightly worn out.
I attached our hose to the water faucet and we filled our thirty gallon tank. We were only down ten gallons but it’s nice to keep it full when we are wild camping all the time. We take it where we find it.
The blue funnel is a Water Bandit, a five dollar piece of rubber you can slide onto a smooth water faucet which allows you to screw on your hose for easier water transfer. Very cunning.
Aside from all that the place was great fun to visit and we are grateful for the suggestion. Up next Leadville and wild camping at high altitude.
