Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of 77 national parks in the United States. It covers 344 km² (34,400 ha) — about 3.3 times the size of Paris, making it the #41 largest national park in the United States (0.2% of the country's national park area).

History and protection

The park was established in 2004, 22 years ago — the first national parks in the United States date back to 1861. It is listed in IUCN category V: Protected Landscape/Seascape — a protected landscape shaped by people and nature together.

Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The closest airport is San Luis Valley Regional Airport/Bergman Field (ALS), about 46 km away — around 59 minutes by car; alternatively Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB, 108 km). Other national parks within reach include Great Sand Dunes National Park (603 km²), Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (124 km²), Mesa Verde National Park (210 km²) and Rocky Mountain National Park (1,076 km²) — easy to combine on one trip.