2017 Travels, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Buffalo Pass Campground in Colorado

Jim climbs to the top of a dune after an afternoon thunderstorm.

Great Sand Dunes National Park is always a great place to stay if you pass this way. We stayed here during the last week in July during the Monsoon rain season. There's a great Visitor Center and the Pinyon Flats Campground were we stay is more suited to tents and small rigs like ours but there are some sites that large rigs can fit into. The sites have no hookups, there are nice flush toilet facilities, dish washing sink and water is available at taps. The cost is $20 per night, $10 with the Senior Pass.

Jim stands on top of a dune enjoying the view.

We arrived at Great Sand Dunes after a thunderstorm which dampened and packed the sand. Walking up the dunes was like waking on pavement, no sliding back in the sand with each step.

Patterns in the dunes.

It was windy as the thunderstorm dissipated but the damp dunes meant no blowing sand and a pleasing afternoon hike.

Dunes and more dunes.

Medano Creek flows between the dunes and Pinyon Flats Campground
but it's only a few inches deep and easy to wade across.

A cloud eye appears in the darkening sky and most everyone in the campground comes out to take pictures.
It's what campers do.

There are other hikes beside walking the dunes. We spend the next day hiking the 8.5 mile Medano Creek Loop Trail between the dunes and the base of the mountain range.

Hiking the Medano Creek Loop.

Hiking the Medano Creek Loop.

A view of the dunes from the Medano Creek Loop.

Mule Deer are residents of the Great Sand Dunes.

Bee Balm is blooming everywhere.

A old juniper stump become sculpture.

We take one more hike on the dunes before leaving for our next destination. It's a beautiful sunny day and visitors are swarming on the dunes. Walk over the first set of dunes and there is no one to be see. That is what we do and find dune solitude.

From our point of view at the top of a dune, people, looking like ants, swarm onto the dunes from the Visitor Center. 

We hike up the dunes, away from the crowds and into the wilds.

Light and shadow on the dunes.

A dune yet unclimbed.

Dunes with no foot prints.

We leave Great Sand Dunes to travel north to the town of Saguache and take highway 114 toward Cochetopa Pass. We stay at Buffalo Pass Campground in the Rio Grande National Forest about a mile from the highway on the climb to the pass. It's a primitive campground in a beautiful stand of aspen and pine surrounding flower-filled meadows. There are no hookups or water, only vault toilets. A perfect, peaceful place. The rate is $5 per night, $2.50 with the Senior Pass.

Our campsite at Buffalo Pass Campground in the Rio Grande National Forest on the east side of Cochetopa Pass.

The view from our campsite at Buffalo Pass.

The view from our campsite at Buffalo Pass.

Every time we come to the San Luis Valley we have to bicycle up Cochetopa Pass. It's a tradition. Highway 114 is a good 2-lane bicycling road with some logging and big rig traffic but the road is good shape with wide shoulders especially at the top of the pass, and the truckers are courteous. In general traffic is very light. The climb steepens towards the top of the pass which summits at 10,135 ft.

On the way to Cochetopa Pass.

Jim at Cochetopa Pass, 10,135 ft.

The rides are so much fun that we bicycled to the top of the pass from both the east and west side to enjoy the scenery and of course, the ride back down. If you're a cyclist this is a ride to go out of your way for.

Got Nuts? A Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel checks things out.

Our next stop will be a visit to our friends in Buena Vista for an ATV adventure over Tincup Pass plus an outstanding hike.

Until Next Time,
Jackie