Colorado has diverse landscapes that include grasslands, mesas, buttes, Rocky Mountains, peaks and even sand dunes. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve situated in the southern central area of Colorado and nestled next to the Sangre De Cristo Mountains encompasses 7 zones of life: dunefield, sand sheet and grassland, salt-encrusted plain, streams and wetlands, alpine tundra, subalpine, and montane forest. These 7 zones provide interesting and distinguishing landscapes all in one park for learning, hiking, sand boarding, 4-wheel driving or just relaxing while taking in the views.
We decided to take in the milky way view while there was opportunity being that Great Sand Dunes is a certified International Dark Sky Park. On our first visit we hiked in from the picnic parking lot just after it had gotten dark with our snack/med bag over shoulder, towel under arm and dog Rita on leash ready for nature’s live performance and unprepared without a red flashlight. We used our cell phone lights which is not recommended due to our humanly slow pupil response to light changes and unmarked entrance/exit from parking lot. We crossed Medano Creek which during September is a very shallow stream of slow-moving water and placed our towel farther up on dry sand. Being that it was a relatively moonless night during the end of summer we were able to see the brightest part of the milky way. Nature’s performance did not disappoint! If you plan on visiting at night make sure to bring coats or jackets as temperatures can dip to 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
On our second visit during the day, we decided to give it a go at hiking the dunes and sand sledding down. We didn’t realize that sand boards and sleds had to be rented in town before heading to the park but decided to have a good time anyway. Near the park entrance is a Store named Oasis open seasonally also offering sand board rentals. At the visitors center the ranger recommended we head on over to the Dunes so that we could finish up by 1:00 p.m. as the sand reaches up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and the high winds begin. We made it up to the shortest dunes on the first ridge before the winds began kicking up and headed out. High Dune on First Ridge offers a view of the entire dune field, is 2.5 miles round trip and has an elevation gain of 693 feet. Star Dune, one of the tallest dunes in North America is 6 miles roundtrip and has an elevation gain of 741 feet. Walking on top of ridges makes the hike easier. The park elevation ranges from 7500 to ~ 14000 feet above sea level so be mindful of shortness of breath and possible elevation sickness (headache, nausea, and short breath). Being low elevation east coasters, we would easily become short of breath while walking and hiking. Taking short breaks and drinking plenty of water helped. The 7-day pass entrance fee is 25.00 or you can purchase an interagency annual pass for 80.00 if you plan on visiting other national parks.
Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is in Mosca, CO about 35 miles from Alamosa Colorado, a quaint area with a charming downtown and beautiful views of nearby mountain ridges. Pinon Flats Campground located in the park offers RV sites with no hook ups. There is a fill and dump station available. You will want to make reservations 6 months to a year in advance at recreation.gov. We chose to stay in Alamosa at Cool Sunshine RV Park, a new park close to shopping and restaurants offering full hook-ups and friendly staff.
After acclimating a week in Alamosa we headed on Hwy 160 through the Rio Grande National Forest to Mancos Colorado for a stay at Echo Basin Cabin and RV Resort. The drive was one of the most beautiful we have taken even with the 5- and 9-mile steep grades and curves. I kept myself busy taking pictures and Ryan was very cautious taking the curves slow. Echo Basin was a much needed and welcome retreat in the foothills of the San Juan Mountains tucked in a valley between three mountain ridges with plenty of tall shade pines, an onsite restaurant with an excellent cook, and putting greens. An elevation of 7800 feet provided clear skies for star gazing at night. All lights out at 10:00 p.m. was strictly enforced and welcomed. Luckily there wasn’t a burn-ban, and we were able to have fires in the cooler evenings.
Visiting Mesa Verde National Park was a simple short 13.5-mile drive to the entrance. The drive inside the park was a bit of a different story. The drive isn’t hard but the steep abundance of curves that are sometimes unrailed with very deep drop offs will keep you on toes. You should be fine taking it slow and obeying caution signs. Although the views are absolutely gorgeous, if you have a fear of heights this is one of those times you might want to let someone else drive. There are several places made for pulling off the road to get plenty of pictures or take a rest. There are six cliff dwellings throughout the park, all needing a purchased tour except for Step House on Wetherill Mesa. The hikes into and out of the dwellings range in difficulty and usually require climbing ladders of different heights. Cliff Palace is ¼ mile hike with 5 ladders ranging from ~5 to 10 feet in height. Tickets are $8.00 per adult. Being that Cliff Palace was one of the easier hikes we purchased tickets online the night before. On our way to the meeting area, we made a wrong turn and were going to be late so we decided to stop at the ranger station to stretch our legs and get a view of one of the other dwellings. Afterward we made our way to Cliff Palace and took a very short hike down to the viewing area to get a good perspective of it. We couldn’t take the hike of course due to our tardiness and my nerves (wink, wink). As I have mentioned before heights aren’t my thing and I felt I had pushed myself enough out of my comfort zone. Unfortunately, our trip was cut short when I miss stepped off the side of the path and rolled my ankle on the way back from the viewing area. Of course, I stubbornly had to get the national park sticker for our collector’s passport book, so Ryan helped me hobble into the information/gift shop on the way out of the park.
Four Corners National Monument is an hour and twenty minutes from Echo Basin so we made the trek and took the customary photos. While purchasing an ornament we had a chat with one of the vendors who explained the meaning behind some of the hand painted images on their products and a little about his Navajo language and government. We talked about the Navajo code talkers who were bilingual and recruited during World War II to use Navajo words for certain English phrases, creating a code for secret transmitted messages in the Marines. He also gave us a little history of his people and we discussed the similarities and differences of the spread of covid within our individual communities. This was by far our favorite part of Four Corners. So much interaction with others is lost today with cell phones and online purchasing. It’s refreshing in this time to speak to others with different ideas and backgrounds and still respect each other even if there isn’t necessarily agreement with those ideas. Sadly, many people do not have this skill today. If you ever get to visit the Four Corners have fun and get your pics but the true worth of the place lies within the individuals working there. Colorado is an awesome place with so much to see and do and has most certainly captivated us. We will definitely return at some point!
Roaming Rays 