The aspiring Park Junkie will want to have his or her hands on a number of Great Sand Dunes facts that will be worthy of a mic drop when among friends on the trail in Colorado. With this in mind, the following fun facts have been compiled to assure that you preserve your esteemed stature among your traveling companions.
Guide to Great Sand Dunes
Great Sand Dunes Fun Facts
fact 1: Great Sand Dunes is home to the tallest sand dune in North America.
Located deep within the 5 billion cubic meters of sand that cover more than 30 square miles of this Colorado park, is the Star Dune. This massive sandbox rises more than 750′ from base to crest. The park is also home to High Dune, which boasts a greater elevation, but rises just less than 700′.
fact 2: Great Sand Dunes was the first National Park and Preserve outside of Alaska.
National Parks and Preserves are common in Alaska, but not so much in the lower 48. Six of the eight Ak parks hold the “preserve” designation, compared to only 2 in the lower 48. Great Sand Dunes became the first down yonder upon its adoption in 2004, and West Virginia’s New River Gorge became the second in 2020.
A National Preserve differs from a National Park in that activities such as hunting and limited mineral extraction are permissible in the preserve, while these undertakings are not permitted in the national parks.
fact 3: Great Sand Dunes is home to some of the oldest archeological sites in the U.S. currently known to scientists.
Humans have inhabited this area for nearly 11,000 years. The park is home to sites that show evidence of human occupation that dates back more than 9,000 years.
Great Sand Dunes Stat Sheet
established: September 13, 2004 as Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
monument: 1932 as Great Sand Dunes National Monument
rank of admission: 58
size: National Park – 107,342 acres
National Preserve – 41,686
Total = 149,028
rank in size: 35
annual visitation: 2018 – 442,905
rank in visitation: 42
time zone: Mountain Time
park phone: 719 378 6300
Guide to Great Sand Dunes
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