Castle Creek Trail
A 2.5-mile trail that leads to some impressively steep sand slopes.
Plan Around Castle Creek Trail
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Castle Creek Trail Details
At Castle Creek, dunes rise sharply from the creek bed in almost a castle-like fashion. Watch out for "sand avalanches," as the angles of these dunes reach around 35 degrees. Castle Creek is a great place to bring kids, as the steeper angle of the slopes makes for good sand sledding. Park at the Dunes Parking Lot and walk north to the base of the dunes, a hike of about 2.5 miles to the dunes. Alternatively, if you have a 4WD vehicle, you can drive to the Castle Creek Picnic Area and cut off the majority of the hike; there is also access to Medano Creek from here.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
5 miles
Estimated time
3 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Castle Creek Trail
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Castle Creek Trail
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0.0 mi away
Medano Creek
This land-locked state may not be known for sandy shoreline, but this area in the Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the coolest natural beaches around.
0.0 mi away
Dunes Parking Area
This is the best place to park your car for access to the dunes.
0.5 mi away
Sand Sheet Loop Trail
A quarter-mile interpretive trail that begins at the Visitor Center.
0.5 mi away
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand sledding is certainly the most unique activity available at Great Sand Dunes National Park, but far from the only thing to do on a visit to the tallest sand dunes in North America.
0.5 mi away
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Sand sledding is certainly the most unique activity available at Great Sand Dunes National Park, but far from the only thing to do on a visit to the tallest sand dunes in North America.
