Great Sand Dunes National Park
It’s not often you see a double rainbow & it was definitely the most magical part of visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park. The sand dunes were our last stop on our 9-day road trip and the entire drive was sunny & raining. I kept saying the whole time that I wanted to see a rainbow. I honestly didn’t think it would happen but after we parked the car and started to head up the dunes a double rainbow appeared! Overall our time in the Great Sand Dunes was pretty short, but seeing the double rainbow was worth it.
The Great Sand Dunes are in Colorado & I honestly never would have expected that the largest sand dunes in the US were located in Colorado. They almost look like they came out of nowhere and right next to the sand dunes is a mountain range! Over the mountains, the double rainbow appeared and I literally could not stop talking about it. The rainbow I had been hoping to see all day in the car appeared while we heading to climb the sand dunes. If I’m being honest that was the best part of Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Our goal was to make it to the top of the sand dune to get an epic photo at the top. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it all the way to the top. We spent about 45 minutes heading up the dune but the wind was picking up the entire time and was pretty brutal. There was a storm coming in and sand was whipping all around us, we wanted to try to make it to the top but after 45 minutes of hiking up the dune, we realized it wouldn’t be possible. Being only halfway up the dune and knowing a storm was coming we decided to turn around to head back down the hill. We got back to the car just in time, as it started to down pour as we drove out of the park.
Overall, Great Sand Dunes National Park was not my favorite spot on the trip. The weather conditions didn’t make it very enjoyable and it was a lot of work to try to climb up the dune. I think had it not been quite as windy we might have enjoyed it more. By the end every part of us was covered in sand, our clothes, hair, socks were all filled with sand. I wouldn’t say this is a must-see National Park but if you are in the area it’s not a bad stop. Be cautious of weather conditions if you visit, storms can be hazardous due to lighting on the dunes, and the sun can also make the sand incredibly hot to walk on. I shared my rating of Great Sand Dunes National Park right below! Thanks for stopping by, hope this helps you with planning your National Park visit.
