Great Sand Dunes National Park
September 12th, 2021
After a long day of driving across the 102 degree plains of Kansas and Eastern Colorado, the temperature started to drop as I gained elevation skirting the Spanish Peaks and Sangre de Cristo range. I stayed the night in the town of Alamosa and the next morning, rose with the sun for a hike at Zappata Falls and a visit to the Great Sand Dunes.
To reach the trailhead to Zappata Falls, you need a high clearance vehicle to climb the gravel road from the main highway up to the parking and picnic area near the crevasse formed by Zappata Creek. Then one must scramble up a very rocky trail and wade or rock hop across the creek a number of times before entering the almost cave like cut in rock where the double fall hides. The walls on both sides of the stream close in tightly, trapping the sound of the rushing stream and making for a very noisy experience.
Distant dunes from the Zappata Falls parking area 
Zappata Falls
Sand eroded and blown from the San Juan mountains to the west and flood plain of the Rio Grande River, gets trapped in a bowl formed by the Sangre de Cristo range. It piles up to form the tallest dunes in North America. Having made a number of trips to Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan, you quickly see that they are just small sand piles compared to these.
The scale is not noticable until you observe people climbing to the top. Some carry “sand” boards for sliding back down. Click on the photograph below to see people climbing.
Hikers heading for the top like tiny ants 
Sand Boarders
The flat sand plain being crossed by the hikers in the above photograph, is actually the bed of a creek during spring and early summer. The clear water runs very wide but only a few inches deep and makes a great playground for children and their wading adults.
Next, up the Rio Grande River Palisades, a visit to the historic mining town of Creede, and a cold night at Silver Thread pass.
Starting All Over 