when was the great sand dunes national park established

[23][24] The nearest towns are Crestone to the north, Mosca and Hooper to the west, Blanca and Fort Garland to the south, and Gardner to the east. [56] Both of the wilderness area designations exclude the existing road corridors that pass through them, specifically the paved park road and the unpaved Medano Pass Road. William Henry Jackson - 1873Kris Illenberger - 2011. On March 17, 1932, Great Sand Dunes was officially proclaimed a National Monument by authority of President Herbert Hoover. Original painting at the Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe, New Mexico; courtesy Tumacacori National Historic Site. Water from these creeks then reappear in near the southwestern edge of the park, feeding into the wetland and playa lake systems. The combination of opposing winds, a huge supply of sand from the valley floor, and the sand-recycling action of the creeks are all part of the reason that these are the tallest dunes in North America. At this time, the San Luis Valley was a travel route between the High Plains and Santa Fe for Comanches, Utes, and Spanish soldiers. Medano Pass, also known as Sand Hill Pass, and Mosca Pass, also called Robidouxs Pass, offered more direct routes from the growing front-range cities and dropped into the San Luis Valley just east of the Great Sand Dunes. [32][33], Among the flowering plants are alpine phlox, dwarf clover, alpine forget-me-not, fairy primrose, alpine aven, Indian paintbrush, lousewort, blue-purple penstemon, aspen daisy, western paintbrush, elephantella, snow buttercups, scurfpea, Indian ricegrass, blowout grass, prairie sunflower, Rocky Mountain beeplant, rubber rabbitbrush, speargrass, small-flowered sand verbena, narrowleaf yucca, prickly pear cactus, Rocky Mountain iris, and white water buttercup. [20], Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is located in Saguache and Alamosa Counties, Colorado at approximately 37.75 north latitude and 105.5 west longitude. Travelers are advised that hunting is permitted in the National Preserve during the months of autumn. His 1940 hit The Singing Sands of Alamosa is a love song based on the sounds of the park. Medano Creek is a popular seasonal stream, meaning that the creek has a dynamic flow perfect for rafting in the late spring and early summers, and dries up in the arid winters. [9], Sufficient vegetation has grown on the valley floor and there is little sand blowing into the main dune field from the valley; however, small parabolic dunes continue to originate in the sand sheet and migrate across grasslands, joining the main dunefield. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, International Union for Conservation of Nature, List of national parks of the United States, List of areas in the United States National Park System, "National Reports - Park Acreage Reports (1997 Last Calendar/Fiscal Year)", "Antiquities Act 1906-2006: Maps, facts and figures", "Great Sand Dunes National Park - dune types", "Official Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Map 2014", "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Dunes Among Diversity", "Hunting - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Direct imaging of nanoscale magnetic interactions in minerals", "National Park Service, Land Resources Division, Listing of Acreage (Summary)", "Great Sand Dunes National Park - How to get there", "Great Sand Dunes National Park, Alamosa County, Colorado, United States", "Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, Alamosa County, Colorado, United States", "Great Sand Dunes NM, Colorado - Period of Record General Climate Summary - Temperature", "Monthly Climate Summary - Period of Record: 9/1/1950 to 12/31/2005", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Plants - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Plant Checklist", "List of Mammal, Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Species", "Mammals - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Birds - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Reptiles - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Fish - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Amphibians - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Insects and Spiders - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve", "Accessing the Park's Grasslands, Shrublands and Wetlands", "Great Sand Dunes in United States of America", "How biologists are working to keep the Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle off the endangered species list", "Great Sand Dunes Wilderness in United States of America", "San Luis Valley: Where the Buffalo Roam, Again", "S.2547 - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000", "Great Sand Dunes National Park seeks a missing puzzle piece in the proposed land deal", "97,000 Acres Protected for New National Park", "Great Sand Dunes Designated as International Dark Sky Park", Central City/Black Hawk Historic District, Georgetown-Silver Plume Historic District, Rocky Mountain National Park Administration Building, United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area, List of National Register of Historic Places in Colorado, Yanks Gulch/Upper Greasewood Creek Natural Area, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Sand_Dunes_National_Park_and_Preserve&oldid=1157916646, Protected areas of Alamosa County, Colorado, Protected areas of Saguache County, Colorado, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the National Park Service, Articles with dead external links from May 2022, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 31 May 2023, at 19:49. [46] The road winds around the eastern side of the dune field, up through a forested mountain canyon inside the National Preserve, and then over Medano Passelevation 9,982ft (3,043m)[6]at the 11.2mi (18.0km) mark. [13][6] Most of the park's grasslands, shrublands and wetlands have no established trails but are generally open to hiking. Visitors can climb and explore any part of the 30 square mile dunefield, but in summer its recommended to do so in the early mornings or evenings to avoid high surface temperatures. The Baca Ranch had property located in the valley and the adjacent mountains, ranging in elevation from 7,500ft (2,286m) west of the dunes to the 14,165ft (4,317m) summit of Kit Carson Peak. Visitors can sand board and sand sled with the right gear and conditions. [26] Summer high temperatures are moderate with an average high temperature slightly above 80F (27C) in July, which is the warmest month. [11], In the years that followed, the Rockies were gradually explored, treaties were signed and broken with resident tribes, and people with widely differing goals entered the San Luis Valley from the United States and Mexico. Blanca Peak, just southeast of the Dunes, is one of the four sacred mountains of the Navajo, "Sisnaajini". He crossed the Sangre de Cristos into the San Luis Valley in winter, courting disaster but proving that a winter crossing of this range was possible. Sand grains on the other hand, are light enough to be picked up by the wind, but heavy enough that wind typically cant keep them in the air, so the sand bounces along the surface of the valley floor, moving along, and gathering together in locations where the wind is slowed, or an obstacle is in the way. Many animals visit the dunes from other habitats, including elk, pronghorn, bison, coyotes, bobcats, and raptors. [58] The land is within the MedanoZapata Ranch, located to the west and south. Mosca, Learn more about the hydrology of Great Sand Dunes. [11] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the Great Sand Dunes as a protected landscape (management category V) in 2000, including the national park, the preserve, and the adjacent Baca National Wildlife Refuge. 12 Things You Didn't Know About Great Sand Dunes National Park and Partially rebuilt at times in the 1930s through the 1950s, it has been repeatedly closed by flooding and is now a trail for hikers. The economic output generated by visitor spending at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2018. Activities at the Dunes Discover the magic of the dunes in a multitude of ways. Established: 2000. entrance fees at lands managed by the National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service and also standard amenity fees (day use fees) at lands managed by the US Forest S. Humans have inhabited the San Luis Valley and Great Sand Dunes area for 11,000 years, as early as the Stone Age. In 2004 it was re-designated as Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve by an act of Congress. Remnants of these lakes are still found today, in the form of sabkha (alkali flat) wetlands and playa lakes. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve - Wikipedia [6] Elevations range from 7,515ft (2,291m) in the valley west of the dunes, to 13,604ft (4,146m) at the summit of Tijeras Peak in the northern part of the preserve. Blanca Peak (14,345 feet/4,372m), located just south of Great Sand Dunes, is one of four sacred mountains to the Navajo (Dine') people. Pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands are found on open, drier slopes, while cottonwood and aspen trees are in drainages. The plan is to complete the park, making it fully accessible to the public, by acquiring the final piece of privately-held land located within the current park boundaries. Cougars hunt mule deer here at night. Learn more about Buffalo Soldiers at nearby Fort Garland Museum. The San Luis Valley encompasses the area between the two mountain ranges and is roughly the size of the state of Connecticut. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve hosts many different types of terrain within its parameter. Fossils from the bottom of an ancient sea are now preserved in high layers of rock in the Sangre de Cristos, illustrating the scale of the uplift. Mosca, A series of interviews were held in recent years with an exceptional group of men and women who have early family ties to the Great Sand Dunes area. [24] The major roads through the San Luis Valley are U.S. Route 160 on an eastwest alignment passing south of the park, and U.S. Route 285 on a northsouth alignment passing west of the park and generally parallel to Colorado State Highway 17, which is the closer of the two northsouth roadways.[24]. The sabkha and wetlands are at approximately 7,500ft (2,300m) in elevation. The water then drained through the Rio Grande River, likely forming the steep Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, New Mexico. [9], In 2002, geologists discovered lakebed deposits on hills in the southern part of the valley, confirming theories of a huge lake that once covered much of the San Luis Valley floor. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40498-7_7 The oldest dated deposits found so far would have accumulated in the late Pleistocene epoch, during the middle years of the current ice age's third stage. Those people spend $27 million annually . These people only stayed when hunting and plant gathering was good, and avoided the region during times of drought and scarcity. [7] The dunes cover an area of about 30sqmi (78km2) and are estimated to contain over 1.2 cubic miles (5billion cubic metres) of sand. These opposing wind directions cause the dunes to grow vertically. The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres (55.5sqmi; 143.8km2). In other months, the creek is usually only a few inches deep, if there is any water at all. Geologic Map of Great Sand Dunes National Park (USGS/Madole, VanSistine, Romig; 2016) You can watch robots navigate each April at the annual Colorado Space Grant Robotics Challenge. There are over 105,000 acres encompassed within the park, with an additional 40,000 acres protected by the preserve. [11], Gold and silver rushes occurred around the Rockies after 1853, bringing miners by the thousands into the state and stimulating mining businesses that are still in operation. Keep in mind that the dunes we see today are young and may have come from glacial outwash as recently as 12,000 years ago that flooded the modern playa system. African American Buffalo Soldiers patrolled the Great Sand Dunes region from 1876-1879, courageously working to protect both settlers and tribes during a volatile era. Camping is permitted in most places in the national preserve and at designated sites along the Medano Pass Road, as long as minimum impact guidelines are followed. [15] Fat tire bikes are the only type of bicycle recommended by the park service due to the deep sandy stretches. "Sip'ophe" ("Sandy Place Lake") is thought to be the spring(s) and/or lake(s) immediately west of the dunefield. The national preserve remains open to regulated seasonal hunting, as it was when designated national forest land, but is protected from logging and mining activities which are generally permitted in national forests. For some of them, the dunes were likely a visible landmark along the trail. From July to April, it is usually no more than a few inches deep, if there is any water at all. [60], The eventual redesignation as Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was authorized on November 22, 2000, when President Bill Clinton signed the Congressionally-approved Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act. . Below is a history of those who have travelled through or lived near this natural landmark. [45] The unpaved road crosses Medano Creek nine times and traverses 4mi (6.4km) of deep sand. Juan Bautista de Anza, Zebulon Pike, John C. Frmont, and John Gunnison all traveled through and explored parts of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. The moisture content of 7% beneath the surface sand allows species such as Ord's kangaroo rat, Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, scurfpea, and blowout grass to survive here. Recent scientific research suggests that the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado began forming around 440,000 years ago, after a large inland lake that once covered the San Luis Valley - named "Lake Alamosa" when evidence of the lakebed was discovered in 2002 - dried up due to climate change. The land includes the area presently occupied by the bison herd, as well as adjacent meadows and wetland areas. [1] The recreational visitor total was 527,546 in 2019. How do dunes grow? 11999 State Highway 150 [40], Alpine tundra is the highest elevation ecosystem at Great Sand Dunes where the conditions are too harsh for trees to survive, but wildflowers, pikas, yellow-bellied marmots, ptarmigans, and bighorn sheep thrive. [9], Scientists estimate that Lake Alamosa disappeared about 440,000 years ago, but the dunes themselves apparently originate from sand deposits from later, smaller lakes. The creek was designated a National Natural Landmark in 2012. Financing was provided by the Department of the Interior, the Colorado State Land Board, and private donors. Through the breaking apart and movement (rifting) of large surface plates on Earth's surface, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were uplifted in the rotation of a large plate. [11] The original monument boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres (55.5sqmi; 143.8km2). The Herard family established a ranch and homestead along Medano Creek in 1875, using the old Medano Pass Road to travel to and from their home. Congress authorized a boundary change and redesignation as a national park in 2004. The lack of new sand coming in suggests that the overall size of the dunefield isnt growing, but the dunes within are constantly moving in complex patterns. Elk and pronghorn are common, while burrowing owls nest in the ground and other raptors float through the skies searching for mice, kangaroo rats, and short-horned lizards. [10], The park preserves the tallest sand dunes in North America,[7] as well as alpine lakes and tundra, mountain peaks over 13,000 feet (3,962 m) in elevation, mixed conifer forests, grasslands, and wetlands. 81146, 719 378-6395 As creeks disappear into the valley floor, the sand is picked up and carried to the dune field once again. It was one of 5 approved out of 90 proposals for monument status in 1932. [6] The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932, by President Herbert Hoover. The winds blow from the valley floor toward the mountains, but during storms, the winds blow back toward the valley. The dunes at Great Sand Dunes form on different scales and develop on differing timeframes. [9], Sand that was left behind after the lakes receded blew with the predominant southwest winds toward a low curve in the Sangre de Cristo Range. [11], In 1848, John C. Frmont was hired to find a railroad route from St. Louis to California. De Vargas and his men hunted a herd of 500 bison in the southern part of the valley before returning to Santa Fe. People and Great Sand Dunes: An Enduring Connection. Great Sand Dunes' Founding Legislation: A Timeline - U.S. National Park After Lake Alamosa drained away, smaller lakes still covered the valley floor, including two broad lakes in the northeastern side of the valley. [12] Hiking is permitted throughout the dunes with the warning that the sand surface temperature may reach 150 F (66 C) in summer. The explorers were soon followed by settlers who ranched, farmed, and mined in the valley starting in the late 19th century. Stewarding Conservation and Powering Our Future, about Public Servants are the Backbone of Interior, about Explore Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage, Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme, Secretarial Schedules (July 2018-July2019), Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, on March 17, 1932 by President Herbert Hoover, Experience active nightlife inGreat Sand Dunes when the sun sets, Over 200 of the parks ponderosa pines are the only grove of trees on the National Register of Historic Places, called Indian Grove, Make sure to wear sunscreen and protective clothing year round, peak at 150F (65 degrees C) on a sunny summer afternoon and drop to -20F (-29 degrees C) on a winters night, isitors can sand board and sand sled with the right gear and conditions, Visitors enjoy surfing, skimboarding, rafting and sand castle building in Colorados Natural Beach, Public Servants are the Backbone of Interior, Explore Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage, Interior Department Takes Action to Strengthen Endangered Species Protections. Today, hundreds of thousands of people visit Great Sand Dunes each year, brought perhaps by the same interests that brought youthe oddly beautiful combination of desert dunes and high mountain peaks, the spring-time flow of Medano Creek, dark and quiet nights in the Dunes wilderness, camping, hiking, photography opportunities, orwhat? March is the snowiest month, though some days are above 50F (10C). The park's large spread between high and low temperatures, about 2530F (1417C), is typical of a high desert climate. "[61] The new designation as a national park and preserve was made official in September 2004 after sufficient land had been acquired, quadrupling its size. In 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza II and a huge entourage of men and livestock probably passed near the dunes as they returned from a punitive raid against a group of Comanches. As children, many of these people were raised in sight of the dunes where they spent countless mornings in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These opposing wind directions cause the dunes to grow vertically. Today, visitors can surf an ocean of sandy slopes, observe the glow of planets and hear sand sing. Much of the sediment that had been brought into the valley from the mountains was unsorted, having a mixture of grain sizes and materials, including muds, silts, clays, and most importantly sands. [6], The oldest evidence of humans in the area dates back about 11,000 years. The park, which is notable for containing the tallest sand dunes in North America, was originally established as Great Sand Dunes National Monument in 1932. Dig your toes into the sand or feel it run through your fingers, and you'll realize their true enormity. Originally established in 1932 as a National Monument, it was reauthorized as a National Park in 2004. Once that first mound forms, sand piles up on the windward side more and more until the edge of the dune collapses under its own weight. The dune sand begins just above the clay deposits of Lake Alamosa, so if Lake Alamosa disappeared about 440,000 years ago, then there have been dunes here since then. In 2021, 600,000 people visited the park. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve spans over 30 miles and contains over 5 billion cubic meters of sand to create the largest sandbox in North America. Widely supported by local people, the bill was signed into law in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover. Gunnison's party crossed the dune field on horseback. U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. Overview pet map of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve . This is notably despite the tribes removal by the U.S. Government in the late 1800s. Compare the two photos below showing the first ridge of the dunes 138 years apart. When the water evaporates away in late summer, minerals similar to baking soda cement sand grains together into a hard, white crust. However, even today there are still some small parabolic dunes that originate from the playa lakes in the sand sheet and migrate across grasslands, joining the main dunefield. Medano Creek arrives with peak season and settles into dust by winter. Rio Grande cutthroat trout are found in Medano Creek. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve The purchase approximately tripled the size of the monument. [39], The park harbors several endemic insects including the Great Sand Dunes tiger beetle, a circus beetle (Eleodes hirtipennis), Werner's (Amblyderus werneri) and Triplehorn's (Amblyderus triplehorni) ant-like flower beetle, as well as undescribed species of clown beetle, noctuid moth, and robber fly. National Park Service Site, 1932 and 2004. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve [64], In 2016, the federal government began negotiations toward purchasing 12,518 acres (19.6sqmi; 50.7km2) of the MedanoZapata Ranch from the Nature Conservancy. Duration: 9 seconds The Great Sand Dunes originated from large lakes that once covered portions of the San Luis Valley.
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