Our Opinion: Rave. Incredible beauty, but big rigs beware: you will fit in very few sites.Date of Stay: September 1 through 3, 2008
Weather During Stay: Cool days (low 70’s), breezy, sunny, night time lows in the 40’s.
Site Description: Most of the 88 sites in the two loops of this older campground are small, suitable for tents and small RV’s. Roads and sites are paved. We are in site 35, one of very few that will accommodate our size. No hookups. Pick your site carefully for views or privacy. The views of the dunes from Loop 1 are a little better than the views from Loop 2.
Very clean restrooms with flush toilets. Water available near restrooms. Dump station positioned for arrivals or departures, along with dumpsters, recycling and an air compressor so 4-wheelers can refill their tires as they some off the sand road.
Rate: $14 per night per site; we paid $7 with our Golden Age Pass. There is a separate fee for entry to the park, $3 per person (waived with a Golden Age Pass).
Phone/radio/TV: Verizon phones and aircard work here thanks to a new cell tower. No obstruction for our TV satellite, though it could be a problem in a few of the shadier spaces. Couldn’t find a local NPR station. We didn’t put up the TV antenna.
Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: The campground is at 8,200 feet, on the side of a hill. Many evergreens provide shade without obscuring the view. Fantastic views of the dunes to the east and the Sangre de Cristo peaks to the west.
Lighting/Noise: Very dark, very quiet, very nice. Brilliant stars.
Favorite Sites: We lucked out with site 35, one of very few that works for a motorhome our size.
Hiking/Walking: Wonderful hiking, either on the dunes, beside the dunes, along the flank of the mountains or up to Mosca pass.
Comments: We hadn’t heard of Great Sand Dunes National Park until this summer, and we are SO glad we came. The dunes are sublime, the campground lovely, and the soaring Sangre de Cristos a fabulous backdrop. Another wonderful National Park.
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