… was redisignated on this date in 2000, pending land acquisition. It had been a national monument since 1932. The land was acquired and Great Sand Dunes became America’s 57th national park in 2004.
In this high mountain valley are the tallest dunes in North America, flanked by some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. The park and preserve protects much of the Great Sand Dunes’ natural system, including alpine tundra and lakes, forests, streams, dunes, grasslands, and wetlands.
And National Parks Traveler tells us that Great Sand Dunes is one of the quietest places in the U.S.