Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is a National Park & Preserve in Colorado. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 19 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Great Sand Dunes
We matched 19 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Great Sand Dunes. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Waterfalls (3)
Mountain Peaks (11)
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain Passes (1)
Dark Sky Places (1)
State Parks (1)
National Wildlife Refuges (1)
Wilderness Areas (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Great Sand Dunes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 244° | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 255° | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 283° | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 295° | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 301° | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 298° | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 289° | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 275° | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 260° | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 247° | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 241° | 9h 34m |
Computed for the park's reference point (37.7926, -105.5920); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Great Sand Dunes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
Temperatures are relatively cool all year at the park elevation 8000 ft. Conditions are most often calm, but winds can arise, especially in spring and during storm fronts. Daytime temperatures feel warmer here year round due to intense high-altitude sunlight, and mid-day summer sand surface temps can be 160 degrees F! Plan to explore the dunes morning or evening during summer. Nights are cool in summer, and frigid in winter. Visit https://nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/weather.htm for details
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $25.00 |
| Entrance - Non-commercial Groups | $15.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $20.00 |
| Commercial Entrance - Sedan | $25.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
To access the main park area, including the Dunes Parking Lot, Visitor Center, and Pinon Flats Campground, take US 160 to CO 150 from the south, or CO 17 to Lane 6 to CO 150 from the west. The national park is at the north end of CO 150.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Craft Demonstrations
- Live Music
- Auto and ATV
- Auto Off-Roading
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Group Camping
- RV Camping
- Climbing
- Mountain Climbing
- Compass and GPS
- Orienteering
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Food
- Dining
Nearby parks
CO
CO
NM
CO