Spring conditions vary greatly, from mild and sunny to cold and snowy, with occasional high winds in the afternoon. More than a thousand different kinds of arthropods have been found at the Great Sand Dunes. Travellers are advised that hunting is permitted in the National Preserve during the months of autumn. The combination of opposing winds, a huge supply of sand from the valley floor, and the sand recycling action of the creeks, are all part of the reason that these are the tallest dunes in North America.
Prohibited zones include all developed areassuch as the Pinyon Flats campground, picnic areas, and the visitor centerall paved roadways and many of the hiking trails, along with the dunes area from the parking lot to as far as the High Dune, which is for pedestrian use only. The land includes the area presently occupied by the bison herd, as well as adjacent meadows and wetland areas. The San Isabel National Forest is located to the east of the preserve just beyond the ridge of the Sangre de Cristo Range. [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. In late spring, when Medano Creek usually has its peak flow, snow and high winds are still possible. Trees include aspen, Douglas fir, pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, Rocky Mountain juniper, three-leaf sumac, bristlecone pine, red osier dogwood, and narrow-leaf cottonwood. [11], The idea that the dunes could be destroyed by gold mining or concrete manufacturing alarmed residents of Alamosa and Monte Vista. [8], Creation of the San Luis Valley began when the Sangre de Cristo Range was uplifted in the rotation of a large tectonic plate. Bristlecone and limber pines grow at an extremely slow rate, with small statures that belie their true ages as some are more than a thousand years old. [52][53] Congress also designated the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness in 1993, which contains a total of 219,900 acres (343.6sqmi; 889.9km2) of mountainous terrain. [9], Scientists estimate that Lake Alamosa disappeared about 440,000 years ago, but the dunes themselves apparently originate from sand deposits from later, smaller lakes. They call the lake Sip'ophe (Sandy Place Lake), which is thought to be the springs or lakes immediately west of the dunefield. [28] A high evaporation rate on the dunes qualifies the area as a desert, even though precipitation exceeds 10 inches (250mm). Many species nest in the mountains, forests, grasslands, or wetlands during the summer. [12], Big Spring Creek is a unique spring-fed creek formed by an unconfined aquifer which creates wetlands that support rare species and plant communities in a generally arid area. [7] The dunes cover an area of about 30sqmi (78km2) and are estimated to contain over 1.2 cubic miles (5billion cubic metres) of sand. The presence of larger rocks along Medano Creek at the base of the dunes, elsewhere on the valley floor, and in buried deposits indicates that some of the sediment has been washed down in torrential flash floods. 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. [41], Medano Creek, which borders the east side of the dunes, never finds a permanent and stable streambed as fresh sand falls in the creek. [44], Medano Pass Road is a 22mi (35km) four-wheel drive (4WD) road that begins where the main park road ends. The water then drained through the Rio Grande, likely forming the steep Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, New Mexico. [11], Visitors must walk across the wide and shallow Medano Creek to reach the dunes in spring and summer. [34] More than 2000 bison are ranched within park boundaries on private land, owned by The Nature Conservancy, that is closed to the public. Owls, dusky grouse, turkeys, and bullsnakes all find habitat in these drier, open woodlands. Magnetite is both attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized to become a magnet itself; it is the most magnetic mineral in nature. Spur trails along Sand Creek lead to the four alpine lakes which feed the creek, and to several 13,000ft (4,000m) peaks above the basin. [14], Mosca Pass Trail is a 7mi (11km) roundtrip hike that follows a small creek through aspen and evergreen forests to Mosca Passelevation 9,737ft (2,968m)[6]in the Sangre de Cristo Range. [50], The dunes and surrounding area were designated a national monument in 1932 after a billsponsored by the P.E.O. The tundra begins about 11,700ft (3,600m) and continues upward to the highest peaks in the park. [10], The sand sheet includes extensive grasslands and shrublands that surround the dunefield on three sides, from 7,500ft (2,300m) to 8,200ft (2,500m). In other months, the creek is usually only a few inches deep, if there is any water at all. People had frequently speculated that gold might be present in the Great Sand Dunes, and local newspapers ran articles in the 1920s estimating its worth at anywhere from 17 cents/ton to $3/ton (equivalent to $2/ton to $41/ton today). The dunes cover an area of about 30sqmi (78km2) and are estimated to contain over 1.2 cubic miles (5billion cubic metres) of sand. [11], Gold and silver rushes occurred around the Rockies after 1853, bringing miners by the thousands into the state and stimulating mining businesses that are still in operation. A trail to Medano Lake and the summit of Mount Herard is located off Medano Pass Road. Some of the first people to enter the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes area were nomadic hunter-gatherers whose connection to the area centered around the herds of mammoths and prehistoric bison. [46] The road winds around the eastern side of the dunefield, up through a forested mountain canyon inside the National Preserve, and then over Medano Passelevation 9,982ft (3,043m)[6]at the 11.2mi (18.0km) mark. The Mosca Pass Toll Road was developed in the 1870s, and stages and the mail route used it regularly until about 1911, when the western portion was damaged in a flash flood. The winds blow from the valley floor toward the mountains, but during storms the winds blow back toward the valley. Other features include snow-fed creeks originating high in the mountains, and several alpine lakes. [6], The nearest city is Alamosa which is about 30mi (48km) away by road to the southwest. March is the snowiest month, though some days are above 50F (10C). [11], The Herard familyafter whom Mount Herard is named[17]established a ranch and homestead along Medano Creek in 1875, using the old Medano Pass Road to travel to and from their home. [1][22], The Rio Grande National Forest is located to the north and southeast while the remaining forested slopes directly to the east of the dunes were redesignated the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve. [63], In May 2019, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was designated an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. When overlying sand is removed by wind, magnetite deposits stay in place and are visible as dark patches in the dunefield. [39], The park harbors several endemic insects including the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, a circus beetle (Eleodes hirtipennis), Werner's (Amblyderus werneri) and Triplehorn's (Amblyderus triplehorni) ant-like flower beetle, as well as undescribed species of clown beetle, noctuid moth, and robber fly. [9], In 2002, geologists discovered lakebed deposits on hills in the southern part of the valley, confirming theories of a huge lake that once covered much of the San Luis Valley floor. [29], The four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes system are the mountain watershed, the dunefield, the sand sheet, and the sabkha. The Trujillo's extant homestead and the ruins of a destroyed one were declared a National Historic Landmark in 2004. [10], The park preserves the tallest sand dunes in North America,[7] as well as alpine lakes and tundra, mountain peaks over 13,000 feet (3,962 m) in elevation, mixed conifer forests, grasslands, and wetlands. [3] The park encompasses 107,342 acres (167.7sqmi; 434.4km2) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres (65.1sqmi; 168.7km2) for a total of 149,028 acres (232.9sqmi; 603.1km2). [43] Sandboards and sand sleds can be rented just outside the park entrance or in Alamosa which is the closest city. Also, the main dunefield is moist beneath a thin layer of dry surface sand. [8] The forested and often snowcapped mountains exceeding 13,000ft (4,000m) to the east are the most prominent feature, towering over the high dunes. Samples of sand from deep in the dunes have returned OSL dates varying between a few hundred years to tens of thousands of years old. Similar support in the late 1990s resulted in the monument's expansion into a national park and preserve in 20002004. The plan is to complete the park, making it fully accessible to the public, by acquiring the final piece of privately-held land located within the current park boundaries. The national park is located in the San Luis Valley while the national preserve is located to the east in an adjacent section of the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains. A fence surrounds the property to contain the Conservancy's bison herd and demarcate the boundaries. [18] Frank and Virginia Wellington built a cabin and hand-dug the irrigation ditch that parallels Wellington Ditch Trail located south of the park campground. Partially rebuilt at times in the 1930s through the 1950s, the road was repeatedly closed due to flood damage and is now a hiking trail. [38], Amphibians include the tiger salamander, chorus frog, northern leopard frog, spadefoot toad, Great Plains toad, and Woodhouse's toad. [36], Various reptiles live in the park, such as the short-horned lizard, fence lizard, many-lined skink, bullsnake, and garter snake. [15] Hunting is permitted in the preserve in the autumn, but prohibited within national park boundaries at all times. Although many settlers arrived via the trails from Santa Fe or La Veta Pass, several routes over the Sangre de Cristos into the valley were well-known to American Indians and increasingly used by settlers in the late 1800s. In the late 17th century, Diego de Vargas, a Spanish governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mxico, became the first European on record to enter the San Luis Valley. As Lewis and Clark's expedition was returning east, U.S. Army Lt. Pike was commissioned to explore as far west as the Arkansas and Red Rivers. Sediments from both mountain ranges filled the deep chasm of the valley, along with huge amounts of water from melting glaciers and rain. [11], In 1848, John C. Frmont was hired to find a railroad route from St. Louis to California. Wetlands speckle the San Luis Valley and are important habitat for sandhill cranes, shore birds, amphibians, dragonflies, and freshwater shrimp. [54] Most of the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is managed by the U.S. Forest Service while the National Park Service manages the area that has since been designated a national preserve. The traditional Ute phrase for the Great Sand Dunes is Saa waap maa nache (sand that moves). [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. [47][48], The national preserve adjacent to the national park is also managed by the National Park Service and seasonal hunting is permitted there. Juan Bautista de Anza, Zebulon Pike, John C. Frmont, and John Gunnison all travelled through and explored parts of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. Lake Alamosa suddenly receded after it broke through volcanic deposits in the southern end of the valley. Climate change later significantly reduced these lakes, leaving behind the sand sheet. Small underwater sand ridges that act like dams form and break down, creating surges of water which resemble waves. The Great Sand Dunes are located in the high elevation desert of the San Luis Valley at about 7,694ft (2,345m), just west of the Sangre de Cristo Range. [6], The oldest evidence of humans in the area dates back about 11,000 years. Grassland species such as elk also use these waters for drinking. Areas of sabkha can be found throughout western portions of the sand sheet, wherever the water table meets the surface. The purchase approximately tripled the size of the monument. [37], Fish living in the park's streams include the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Rio Grande sucker (Catostomus plebeius), and fathead minnow. The creek typically flows past the main dunes parking area from late April through late June, with peak flow occurring from late May to early June in most years. In 1852, Fort Massachusetts was built and then relocated to Fort Garland, about 20mi (32km) southeast of the Great Sand Dunes, to safeguard travel for settlers following the explorers into the valley. Sisterhood and widely supported by local residentswas signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. The sabkha forms where sand is seasonally saturated by rising ground water. [10], Subalpine forests and meadows capture heavy snow in winter and soaking rains in summer. Montane forests and woodlands are found along the drier foothills at approximately 8,000ft (2,400m) to 9,500ft (2,900m). Several trails located in the northeastern section of the park lead to alpine lakes high in the mountains. [65], International Union for Conservation of Nature, List of national parks of the United States, List of areas in the United States National Park System, "National Reports - Park Acreage Reports (1997 Last Calendar/Fiscal Year)", "Antiquities Act 1906-2006: Maps, facts and figures", "Great Sand Dunes National Park - dune types", "Official Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Map 2014", "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Dunes Among Diversity", "Great Sand Dunes System Natural Features & Ecosystems", "Hunting - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Direct imaging of nanoscale magnetic interactions in minerals", "National Park Service, Land Resources Division, Listing of Acreage (Summary)", "Great Sand Dunes National Park - How to get there", "Great Sand Dunes National Park, Alamosa County, Colorado, United States", "Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, Alamosa County, Colorado, United States", "Great Sand Dunes NM, Colorado - Period of Record General Climate Summary - Temperature", "Monthly Climate Summary - Period of Record: 9/1/1950 to 12/31/2005", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Plants - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Plant Checklist", "List of Mammal, Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Species", "Mammals - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Birds - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Reptiles - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Fish - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Amphibians - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Insects and Spiders - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Accessing the Park's Grasslands, Shrublands and Wetlands", "Great Sand Dunes in United States of America", "How biologists are working to keep the Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle off the endangered species list", "Great Sand Dunes Wilderness in United States of America", "San Luis Valley: Where the Buffalo Roam, Again", "S.2547 - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000", "Great Sand Dunes National Park seeks a missing puzzle piece in proposed land deal", "97,000 Acres Protected for New National Park", "Great Sand Dunes Designated as International Dark Sky Park", Central City/Black Hawk Historic District, Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District, Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building, United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area, List of National Register of Historic Places in Colorado, Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Sand_Dunes_National_Park_and_Preserve&oldid=1099301025, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Protected areas of Alamosa County, Colorado, Protected areas of Saguache County, Colorado, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the National Park Service, Articles with dead external links from May 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 July 2022, at 01:42.
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