Great Sand Dunes National Park - Part 3

Pinyon Flats CG,Great Sand Dunes NP, Colorado
August 15-16, 2,894 miles and 29 days into the trip.

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Today is my day to climb the sand dunes. Mom walked me part way out and then went back to spend time at the visitors center and gift shop. When you climb the sand dunes you try to walk on the ridges of the sand dunes. The ridges seem to connect like highways and are the easiest way to climb to the top. The highest peak is "Star Dune" at 750 feet. Because of the shifting sand, there are no trail markers.

Getting ready to walk across the flats and climb to the top. That's Star Dune in the background.

Most people start walking across the flats, turn around after the first dune. All of the dots below the dunes are people! The flats are about 1000 yards wide.

On the way up.

Looking back at the parking lot from about half way up.

Looking up at Star Dune.

The view from Lookout Dome. I realized too late that I took a wrong trail and ended up about 150 feet below Star Dune. I kept taking ridges which seemed to be going up. On the way down I saw where I should have climbed off of a dune and back up on another dune. I took the easiest way at the time!

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