Member-only story
Sled Down Giant Sand Dunes in This Diverse National Park
No snow needed for this sledding adventure!
I recently learned that Alaska is home to some pretty massive sand dunes that are 100 feet tall in some places.
This was a huge surprise to me because I’ve always associated sand dunes with desert landscapes — and Alaska is by no means a desert.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a vast wilderness and wildlife haven that transforms from an oasis of lush greenery and rushing rivers in the spring and summer to a frozen tundra in the winter months. Nowhere in there was I aware of sand dunes.
But then I discovered the biggest sand dunes in all of North America, and all of a sudden, Alaska’s dunes seemed tiny in comparison.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado almost wipes Alaska’s dunes right off the map, making for another mind-boggling experience.
Centennial Travel magazine writes:
“In a distinctive corner of south-central Colorado, you don’t need snow to sled. And you don’t need an ocean to go to the beach.”
This is a national park full of varied landscapes and many different types of terrain, including alpine tundra, grasslands, shrublands, dune fields, and wetlands.
