Great Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes are a must-see when visiting the park
Plan Around Great Sand Dunes
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Great Sand Dunes Details
The Kobuk Dunes were created by the grinding of glaciers into sand, which was carried into the protected Kobuk Valley by glacial outwash streams. It was deposited into an ancient lake in the Kobuk Valley 150,000 years ago and then sculpted into dunes by the forces of the wind. The dunes cover more than 25 square miles and lie more than 40 miles above the Arctic Circle. This makes the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes the largest active dunes in arctic latitudes! In some areas, the sand is over 100 feet high. Despite being located at such northern latitudes, the summer temperature at the sand dunes can get above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The dunes are a popular place for visitors not only because they are so impressive, but are relatively visitor-friendly. Airplanes can land right on the sand. Camping is do-able on any level surface of the dunes. And hiking is made easier than much of the surrounding park land by the absence of thick vegetation and spongy tundra.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
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Nearby Parks Around Great Sand Dunes
Compare nearby parks around Great Sand Dunes when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Great Sand Dunes
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Great Sand Dunes while the map context is still fresh.
5.9 mi away
Kobuk Valley National Park
Alaska's largest caribou herd, half a million strong, migrates twice a year across the Kobuk River Valley, the surprising home of 25 miles of shifting sand dunes that's visited by less than 2,000 people annually.
12.0 mi away
Waring Mountains
The Waring Mountains form the southern part of Kobuk Valley
15.2 mi away
Giddings Cabin
This historic cabin is not available for public use, but makes for a great location to watch the sunrise and sunset.
16.9 mi away
Onion Portage
Onion Portage is one of the park's central features and reasons for establishment.
17.1 mi away
Little Kobuk Sand Dunes
The Little Kobuk Sand Dunes is one of the three active dunes in the park
