Great Sand Dunes National Park

The premiere attraction for photographers in the San Luis Valley is the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. It served as our base of operations as we explored the entire region. Here is a link to the portfolio containing other areas of interest in the San Luis Valley.

Great Sand Dunes National Park photos

A variety of landscapes are found at The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, east of Alamosa, Colorado. The park boasts the tallest dunes in North America, as well as a diverse collection of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Here is more information from the National Park Service.

A field of Rocky Mountain Beeplants grow next to the beginning of the Medano Pass Primitive 4x4 raod in Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.

This panorama shows cloud cover shrouding the tops of the dunes on an early morning in September at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

This panorama shows golden cloud cover shrouding the tops of the dunes on an early morning in September at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

The last light of day turns the waters of Medano Creek gold in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa, Colorado.

Golden afternoon light manages to sneak under the looming cloud cover of a retreating storm in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

The clouds have just cleared the Great Sand Dunes, allowing the morning light to enhance their texture.

The last light of day highlights the driftwood in Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa, Colorado.

Sunsets are dramatic and colorful when competing with storm clouds at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado

A hiker celebrates reaching the top of the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preseve near Alamosa, Colorao.

A distant hiker stops for a breather while following a trail up to the top of the first ridge of dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa, Colorado.

Even the hiker's shadow is celebrating making it to the top of the great dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

Prairie Sunflowers carpet both sides of CO 150 near Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado.

Tukai, the Chow/Sharpei mix, enjoys prancing around with a big stick retreived from along Medano Creek in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa, Colorado.

The yellow-tipped stamens of the Rocky Mountain Bee Plant encircle the crown of the flower when viewed from the top. This plant was growing in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa, Colorado.

Most Prairie Sunflowers have ten or more rays; however, this example only has eight rays and seems completely fulfilled.

Tendrils of winterfat draps over the rails of a wooden fence in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

Sand Dunes National Park can be seen across San Luis Lake in San Luis State Park near Hooper, Colorado.

Zapata Falls cuts through a narrow gorge from high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains outside the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

View of the San Luis Valley from the Great Sand Dunes at sunset.

Partly cloudy skies cause interesting patterns of light and shadow on the sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

A brilliant rainbow emerges from the virga on the high plains near the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado.

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3 Replies to “Great Sand Dunes National Park”

Pingback: San Luis Valley of Colorado is a Photographer's Dream

Hi,
I love alle the pictures!
Do you know the place where the picture Valley-2016-39 (Sunset) been shot?
I’ll be there in June and want to know some good places for timelaps shooting
Thanks

Best regards from Germany
Marius

William says:

February 1, 2019 at 3:53 pm

It is on the road past the Oasis RV Park and Restaurant, about a mile or two before the entrance to the park.

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