The Great Sand Dunes

     

Morning Light at San Luis State Park, Colorado

  Today, Wednesday is all about the Great Sand Dunes and the sunrises and sunsets from our camp at the San Luis State Park. San Luis was a park to return to see again with it's high desert and widely spaced camping areas with beautifully designed wind shelters over the picnic tables.

Beautifully designed picnic table shelters 

It sits in the area with a shallow lake fed by the streams that flow from behind and under the dunes. The wind with blows from both the northwest and the southwest works to sculpt the sand and push it toward and into the dunes.

Lovely cloud formation reflecting setting sun

We experienced at different times, the quiet calm and then the strong weather which feed the wind.

The Great Sand Dunes

We visited the dunes which stand many feet high and spread over 30 miles. They constantly change as the wind shifts them. In the summer, the sand can reach temperatures of 160 degrees and in winter, they are snow covered.

Medano River flows around the dunes and finally under to reappear miles to the west

The area stands at 7500 feet and the dunes and mountains rise much higher.

Another sunset over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains