Great Sand Dunes Backcountry itinerary
The stops on the Great Sand Dunes Backcountry route, in order, with the elevation at each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Great Sand Dunes Backcountry permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Great Sand Dunes Backcountry. One reservation is an ordered sequence of nights at named sites, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Dunes Parking Area is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 9
- Published route length
- 11.6 mi
How long it takes: 1-3 nights. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are listed in route order. The mile figures published for them do not fit one line along the route, so this page leaves them out rather than print a distance that puts a stop in the wrong place.
The Great Sand Dunes Backcountry route, stop by stop
Stop 1
Dunes Parking Area
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
Main lot and the start of the dunefield climb.
Stop 2
First high ridge
The line you have to be past to camp. Plan a minimum of one hour of climbing to reach it.
Stop 3
Buck Creek
Designated Sand Ramp site, 1.0 mile from the Amphitheater Parking Lot.
Stop 4
Escape Dunes
Designated site 2.8 miles from the Horse Parking Lot, where the dunes overrun the trail.
Stop 5
Indian Grove
Designated site with a privy, 4.1 miles from the Horse Parking Lot.
Stop 6
Little Medano
Designated site 5.0 miles along the Sand Ramp Trail.
Stop 7
9,240 ft
Aspen
At 9,240 feet, the highest designated backcountry site in the park.
Stop 8
Cold Creek
Designated site 10.1 miles from the Horse Parking Lot.
Stop 9
Sand Creek
The far end of the Sand Ramp Trail, with a bear box and the only legal fire ring in the backcountry.
Getting a Great Sand Dunes Backcountry for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Great Sand Dunes Backcountry dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Great Sand Dunes Backcountry around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.