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Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunset NPS/Patrick Myers

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Dark-Sky Certified · CO

Tonight at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

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Open 24/7 year round! There are no timed entries or reservations to visit. The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience countless stars in this International Dark Sky Park!

Weather & conditions

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

What to do after dark

  • Experience the Night

    Half the park is after dark! Night at Great Sand Dunes can include dunes exploration under a bright full moon, viewing thousands of stars on a clear moonless night, listening for owls along the foothills, or observing migrating amphibians on a wet night.

From the National Park Service.

What this latitude gives you

From 37.8° north, anything above declination +52.2° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -52.2° never clears the horizon at all.

Astronomical darkness lasts through every night of the year here, including midsummer, which makes this a rare site for a June or July imaging trip.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.

Where to stay near Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Hotels, cabins, lodges and holiday rentals within reach of these coordinates, for the nights you have chosen above. We earn a commission if you book through this map, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what you are shown: nothing here is ordered, promoted or paid for. How the site is paid for.

Lodging search by Stay22. Prices and availability come from the booking sites themselves.

Address
Visitor Center, Mosca, CO 81146
Coordinates
37.7926, -105.5920
Official site
nps.gov

Coordinates and park details from the US National Park Service. Sun, moon, dark window and forecast are computed for these coordinates by the SmartScopeClub dark-sky engine.