What's on in Great Sand Dunes National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Snow on the dunes (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Sandhill crane migration

  1 Feb – 31 MarWildlife season

  Twenty thousand cranes stop over in the San Luis Valley on the way north, feeding in the fields by day and flying back to the wetlands at dusk. Monte Vista refuge is the place to stand; the dunes are the backdrop. Source ↗

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually)), Snow on the dunes (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Sandhill crane migration (1 Feb – 31 Mar), Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Medano Creek surge flow

• Nature

  Medano Creek surge flow

  15 Apr – 5 Jul · usuallyHigh waterCrowded

  Snowmelt runs out across the sand in pulsing waves for a few weeks, which turns the base of the dunes into a shallow beach full of children on inflatables. Peak is usually late May or early June, and in a low-snow year it barely happens at all. Source ↗

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Medano Creek surge flow

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Medano Creek surge flow (15 Apr – 5 Jul (usually))

Peak crowds — Medano Creek surge flow, Summer break in United States

• Hazard

  Scorching sand surface

  1 Jun – 31 Aug · usuallyExtreme heat

  The sand surface gets far hotter than the air and burns bare feet and dogs' pads by mid-morning. The park's own advice is to be on the dunes before ten or after four, and there is no shade anywhere on them. Source ↗

Still on: Medano Creek surge flow (15 Apr – 5 Jul (usually))

Peak crowds — Medano Creek surge flow, Summer break in United States

• Hazard

  Afternoon lightning on the dunes

  1 Jul – 31 Aug · usuallyStorm season

  You are the tallest thing standing on an open sand field, and monsoon storms build over the Sangre de Cristos most July and August afternoons. Rangers clear the high ridge when they hear thunder; get down before you are asked to. Source ↗

Still on: Medano Creek surge flow (15 Apr – 5 Jul (usually)), Scorching sand surface (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Scorching sand surface (1 Jun – 31 Aug (usually)), Afternoon lightning on the dunes (1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States

• Nature

  Dark sky season

  1 Sep – 30 Apr · usuallyDark-sky season

  A certified dark sky park in a valley with almost no one in it, and you can walk out on to the sand at night without a trail. Autumn and winter give the longest nights and the driest air for it. Source ↗

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Snow on the dunes

  1 Dec – 28 FebOff-season shutdown

  Snow lies on the sand in patches and the whole place is empty except for the crane watchers. Sandboards do not work on wet sand, the creek is gone, and the car park is yours.

Still on: Dark sky season (1 Sep – 30 Apr (usually))