Majestic and austere, the Great Sand Dunes rise from a high mountain valley flanked by some of the tallest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve celebrates the entire natural system of the Great Sand Dunes as well as a rich and living connection with ancient and modern peoples. Our mission is to offer visitors opportunities for learning, solitude, and a growing sense of stewardship in an accessible and undeniably enticing natural setting. The National Park Service works with park partners, neighbors, and the American public to protect this treasure forever.

Official Link: http://www.nps.gov/grsa

Education Programs and Teaching Materials

Great Sand Dunes employs a full-time education specialist who provides a variety of curriculum-based classroom presentations and field trips for K-12 groups. To avoid scheduling conflicts, it is best to arrange ranger-led programs at least two weeks in advance. More notice in the busy spring field trip season is highly recommended.

Program subject areas include geology, animals and ecosystems, plant adaptations and cultural uses, history, and wilderness and Leave No Trace skills. Programs generally last 1-2 hours, depending on the time of year, staff availability, and teachers' schedules. Hands-on, place-based education can increase students' understanding of how their lives are connected with the natural world and provide an excellent outlet for creativity, exploration, and student-driven inquiry.

A variety of teaching materials, lesson plans, and interactive games can be found on our web site. Our on-line activities and "Explore the Wonders" web site section may be used as pre-trip materials or post-visit extensions of your Dunes unit. If your students produce exceptional writing or artwork following your visit, their work can be posted on web sites for Great Sand Dunes, the National Park Service, and the Hands on the Land network.

Learn more about Great Sand Dunes' education programs and teaching materials in ECEC's Teaching Resources.

Natural History

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve contains the tallest dunes in North America. Although the active dune field appears stark, in reality, the Park and Preserve protects a rich and complex environment ranging from desert valley floor to snow-capped mountain peaks, where many different plants and animals live in a variety of distinct natural communities. Here, one can find insect species found nowhere else on earth, globally rare plants, and creeks that demonstrate surge flow, an uncommon hydrologic phenomenon. The Wilderness areas within the Park and Preserve also offer spacious relief from urban America, exceptional solitude and quiet, and a remarkably unspoiled day and night sky.

Our web site features animations that describe how the dunes formed, links to various research documents, curriculum resources, and images of plants, animals, and geological features.

Cultural History

The same physical characteristics that influenced the formation of the sand dunes created a cultural crossroad, resulting in a landscape of special significance to many people over thousands of years. The Park and Preserve contain some of the oldest (9,000+ years before present) known archeological sites in America. The dunes have been identified as having special importance by people of various cultures, and the area is recognized for the culturally diverse nature of human use.

Great Sand Dunes web site offers a summary of current archaeological projects and an oral history section that includes lesson plans and the opportunity for local students to post their own oral history interviews on-line.