Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Views at Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve, Colorado
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 750 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This g... More
Great Sand Dunes from Zapata Falls Recreation Area
Great Sand Dunes from Zapata Falls Recreation Area Public domain photograph of mountain range, national park, nature view, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Lower Sand Creek Lake, July - Public Domain image, National Parks Gall...
Lower Sand Creek Lake is located in Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, the dunes' alpine watershed. Snowfields usually linger here through mid-summer.
Elk Near Entrance Road - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
A bull elk and females in the grasslands southwest of the dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park
Rocky Mountain elk herd at sunrise, Great Sand Dunes National Park and...
Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), along with other large animals like pronghorn, sandhill cranes and golden eagles, are often seen by visitors in the fall to spring. Elk prefer open grasslands and... More
Herd of elk running across the dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park a...
Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), along with other large animals like pronghorn, sandhill cranes and golden eagles, are often seen by visitors in the fall to spring. Elk prefer open grasslands and... More
Sand dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela theatina), Great Sand Dunes Nationa...
Found only in Great Sand Dunes NP, these little beetles have very unique characteristics. While most insects are short-lived, the tiger beetle takes over two-and-a-half years (including two winter hibernations)... More
Snow-capped mountain as seen from the wetlands of San Luis Valley, Gre...
Medano Creek becomes wetlands and lakes west of the dunefield by mid-summer. Shorebirds, amphibians and elk are often seen near the wetlands.
Moorise over Mount Herard, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve...
Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Footprints at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of Americ...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
A portion of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of America...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of America's newest nat...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
Lower Sand Creek Lake Reflection, Great Sand Dunes National Preserve
The alpine areas of Great Sand Dunes are dramatically different than the barren dunes below. Six peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, alpine lakes, alpine tundra, wildflower meadows, and conifer forests are all... More
The distant dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve i...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Credit line: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photograp... More
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of America's newest nat...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of America's newest nat...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, one of America's newest nat...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Gift; Carol M. Highsmith Photography, Inc.; 2017; (DLC/PP-2002:038-13). Forms part of: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within... More
Small farmhouse and the distant dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National...
Title, date and keywords based on information provided by the photographer. Credit line: Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photograp... More
Sand Creek Basin, Great Sand Dunes National Preserve
Great Sand Dunes National Preserve is the alpine watershed of the Great Sand Dunes. Six peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, alpine lakes, tundra, and forests are all part of the preserve - a stark contrast to ... More
Great Sand Dunes - National Parks Gallery
Landscape view of the dunes and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains behind the dunes.
Couple Walking on a Dune (47126811022)
NPS/Patrick Myers The size of the Great Sand Dunes is best shown in comparison to people. In this recent photo, look carefully for the couple walking near the top of the sunlit dune!
Dune Ridges and Cleveland Peak (35307440576)
NPS/Patrick Myers “There is a delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm." Theodore Roo... More
Dune Ridges and Kit Carson Mountain (42138039091)
NPS/Patrick Myers The beautiful rising angles of the dunes and Sangre de Cristo Mountains are more than coincidence - they are the result of plate tectonics that have dropped the valley floor and lifted this st... More
Dune Ridges (48547561807)
NPS/Patrick Myers Late afternoon light this time of year not only highlights the beautiful patterns of dune ridges, it also shows that Great Sand Dunes are made up of long transverse dunes stacked upon one another!
Dunes and Cleveland Peak (30517214603)
NPS/Patrick Myers The presence of warm desert dunes below snowcapped alpine peaks brings a strong emotional response from most visitors. Massive dunes are unexpected in the Rocky Mountains, prompting people to... More
Dunes and Cleveland Peak from Foothills Woodlands (33967634542)
NPS/Patrick Myers People expect to see dunes in a barren desert...but are amazed to experience them in the Rocky Mountains! The dunefield is cradled in a curve of the alpine Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where ... More
Dune Shadow Patterns (51102285395)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Dunes and Cleveland Peak (51265736844)
The dramatic contrasts of huge desert dunes and snow-capped mountains greet visitors entering the national park. NPS/Patrick Myers
Dune Ridge (29749190042)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Dunes from Montville Trail (51264251122)
Aspen trees are bright green and there are patches of snow still visible above the dunes in early summer. NPS/Patrick Myers
Dune Ridges Below Kit Carson Mountain (32077842624)
NPS/Patrick Myers Opposites attract at Great Sand Dunes! Nothing in the natural world could be more contrasting than stark desert dunes and lushly forested, snow-capped alpine peaks - yet here they live in qui... More
Dune Ridges above Medano Creek (51266015330)
Majestic ridges of dunes rise above Medano Creek in early summer. NPS/Patrick Myers
Dune Shape Resembling the Profile of a Woman's Face (28391927769)
NPS/Patrick Myers What do the shapes of the dunes evoke to you as the light changes throughout each day and season? Recently, a shape that resembles the profile of a woman's face appeared at just the right ligh... More
Dune Ridges and Mount Herard (51102422000)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Dunes and Cleveland Peak, Late Winter (39993726022)
It's been an exceptionally dry winter so far in this region - hoping for more snow in late winter and spring. Fortunately, the Great Sand Dunes are beautiful in all seasons and conditions! Photo: NPS/Patrick My... More
Dunes and Cleveland Peak (37854429294)
NPS/Patrick Myers Sometimes the dunes echo the shapes of the mountains above them. In this photo, the two dune peaks echo the saddle shape of 13,414 (4,089m) Cleveland Peak.
Dunes and Crestone Peaks through Piñon Pines (41326102214)
NPS/Patrick Myers The Great Sand Dunes have been a landmark for people throughout countless generations. The tallest dune rises over 750 feet (230m) - taller than the Denver skyline - marking the way for early ... More
Dunes and Crestone Peaks (49986230737)
NPS/Patrick Myers The dramatic snowcapped 14,000 ft. Crestone Peaks stand in stark contrast to the dunes below.
Dunes and Cleveland Peak, Early Spring (51102101285)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Dunes and Mt. Herard above San Luis Lake (27734672797)
NPS/Patrick Myers Rain showers fell on the valley and fresh snow blanketed the mountains over the weekend, helping a little to alleviate the effects of this year's drought. Even though there's little flow now ... More
Dunes, Ponderosa Pines, and Cleveland Peak (32984282100)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Dunes, Medano Creek, and San Luis Valley (49653107497)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Clearing Storm, Star Dune and Crestone Peaks (47682303581)
NPS/Patrick Myers Silvery clouds peeled back this morning to reveal wet dunes and fresh snow on the mountains. After rain, patterns appear from various layers and types of sand that dry at different rates. Sha... More
Curving Dune Ridge (23991063297)
NPS/Patrick Myers Curving Dune Ridge NPS/Patrick Myers At Great Sand Dunes, you can literally see the shape of the wind. Dunes are uniquely sculpted into evocative forms that would be considered great artworks ... More
Curving Sand Ridges (30082400973)
NPS/Patrick Myers
Hidden Dune (51000827108)
NPS/Patrick Myers Hidden Dune is currently the tallest dune in the dunefield at 742 feet/226 m. Named because it's remote and hidden from the main visitor use area, it is also one of the least-hiked dunes in t... More
Hidden Dune Summit and Panorama (51343821918)
Hidden Dune is a remote dune in the northeast portion of the dunefield, named because it can't be seen from most visitor areas of the national park. In 2020, new measuring technology confirmed that Hidden Dune ... More
Hiker on Dune Ridges at Sunset (35474169820)
NPS/Patrick Myers How 'great' are the Great Sand Dunes? Look carefully to see the hiker on the upper dune in this photo, which only shows a small portion of the lower half of the first ridge of dunes. The main... More