NPS Photo by Scott Hansen

Great Sand Dunes is a safe environment for all ages to explore a pristine wilderness, away from the noise of an increasingly urbanized world. Please "leave it as beautiful as you found it".

Wilderness Values

The dunefield and much of the adjacent Sangre de Cristo Mountains are federally designated wilderness.  The Great Sand Dunes were made a wilderness by Congress in 1976, and the much of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were designated in 1993.

With ever-increasing urbanization, protected wildernesses are becoming more and more important as places where natural systems can go on unimpaired, and where people can enjoy the beauty of the natural world without the roar of engines, oil stains, or tire tracks. At Great Sand Dunes, you can hike, ski, snowboard, sled, splash in Medano Creek, or just enjoy unrestricted exploration. It is a unique place to discover the intricacies of the natural world, as well as natural quiet and dark night skies where you can see countless stars with very little light pollution. The dunes wilderness protects the habitat of six endemic species of insects, including the beautiful Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle, that are found here and nowhere else on earth. This is a safe place for children and families to play and explore without the danger of vehicles.

The federally designated Wilderness Areas within the Park and Preserve are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, established in 1964 with the passage of the Wilderness Act. Today, over 100 million acres across the country are protected as Wilderness. The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness areas as, "...in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, [wilderness] is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Wilderness Act further describes wilderness as a place "retaining its primeval character and influence" where there are "outstanding opportunities for solitude". At Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, you have the opportunity to visit unique and diverse ecosystems protected as designated wilderness. Please help take care of your park for both present and future generations by practicing Leave No Trace skills and using proper food storage to protect wildlife.

For those who want to drive or ride on dunes in Colorado, the North Sand Hills SRMA is available for ATV and motorbike use. It is close to the town of Walden in North Park, Colorado.