Great Sand Dunes National Park II_02
by Greg Reed
Title
Great Sand Dunes National Park II_02
Artist
Greg Reed
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to 750 feet (230 m) tall[5] on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and an adjacent national preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in south-central Colorado, United States.[6] The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932, by President Herbert Hoover. The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres (55.5 sq mi; 143.8 km2).[2] A boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve was authorized on November 22, 2000, and then established on September 24, 2004.[3] The park encompasses 107,342 acres (167.7 sq mi; 434.4 km2) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres (65.1 sq mi; 168.7 km2) for a total of 149,028 acres (232.9 sq mi; 603.1 km2).[1] The recreational visitor total was 527,546 in 2019.[4]
The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America.[7] The dunes cover an area of about 30 sq mi (78 km2) and are estimated to contain over 1.2 cubic miles (5 billion cubic metres) of sand.[8] Sediments from the surrounding mountains filled the valley over geologic time periods. After lakes within the valley receded, exposed sand was blown by the predominant southwest winds toward the Sangre de Cristos, eventually forming the dunefield over an estimated tens of thousands of years.[9] The four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes system are the mountain watershed, the dunefield, the sand sheet, and the sabkha.[8] Ecosystems within the mountain watershed include alpine tundra, subalpine forests, montane woodlands, and riparian zones.[10]
Evidence of human habitation in the San Luis Valley dates back about 11,000 years. The first historic peoples to inhabit the area were the Southern Ute Tribe; Apaches and Navajo also have cultural connections in the area. In the late 17th century, Diego de Vargas, a Spanish governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, became the first European on record to enter the San Luis Valley. Juan Bautista de Anza, Zebulon Pike, John C. Frémont, and John Gunnison all travelled through and explored parts of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. The explorers were soon followed by settlers who ranched, farmed and mined in the valley starting in the late 19th century. The park was first established as a national monument in 1932 to protect it from gold mining and the potential of a concrete manufacturing business.[11]
Visitors must walk across the wide and shallow Medano Creek to reach the dunes in spring and summer. The creek typically has a peak flow from late May to early June. From July to April, it is usually no more than a few inches deep, if there is any water at all.[12] Hiking is permitted throughout the dunes with the warning that the sand surface temperature may reach 150 °F (66 °C) in summer.[13] Sandboarding and sandsledding are popular activities, both done on specially designed equipment that can be rented just outside the park entrance or in Alamosa.[14] Visitors with street-legal four-wheel drive vehicles may continue past the end of the park's main road to Medano Pass on 22 miles (35 km) of unpaved road, crossing the stream bed of Medano Creek nine times and traversing 4 miles (6.4 km) of deep sand.[15] Hunting is permitted in the preserve in the autumn, but prohibited within national park boundaries at all times.[16] The preserve encompasses nearly all of the mountainous areas north and east of the dunefield, up to the ridgeline of the Sangre de Cristos.[6]
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sand_Dunes_National_Park_and_Preserve
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June 30th, 2015
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Comments (22)
Lorraine Baum
Congratulations Greg - Your wonderful image has been Featured in the All COLORADO group. Please add it to the 2022 Featured Archives group discussion. L/F
Kay Brewer
I haven't been here, but it's on my bucket list. Voted your entry in the National Parks contest. LF
Robyn King
Congratulations your beautiful work is being featured in 500 Views Share Group & Shared :-)
Greg Reed replied:
Thank you Robyn for the feature in 500 Views Share Group & Shared and for the fav and nice comment!!! :)
Mesa Teresita
This is an excellent capture! I love that there are two people standing on one of the hills; they put it all in perspective! Great one!! L/F/T
Greg Reed replied:
Thank you Tery for the wonderful comment and the L/F/T!!! :) Indeed the scale of dunes is impressive, glad you like it!! :)
Doug Morgan
Nicely composed and including the people sure provides good perspective on the scale of these dunes...wow...maybe I'll see them some day. Well done! L/F
Jenny Rainbow
Beautiful zen like natural scene, Greg!
Greg Reed replied:
Thanks Jenny for the great comment and the fav!!! I am indeed very pleased with the results!!! :)
Natalie Ortiz
Terrific how the people in this shot bring scale to your image. Well done, Greg. F
Greg Reed replied:
Thanks Natalie, your comment and F are most welcome!! Indeed a very large scale place!!
Greg Reed
Thanks for the features in the "Country Landscape" and the "Landscape and Landmark" groups!!
Reynold Jay
Are those people standing on that dune? I used the close up feature and it would not tell me!!!! If so these hills are quite incredible. Great photo. FAV. Greg!!!!
Greg Reed replied:
Indeed Reynold, those are people! The Dunes are most impressive! Thanks for the FAV!!
Judy Vincent
Wonderful image! Congratulations on your feature in the “Landscape and Landmark Photography” group!