Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
For century after century, streams, creeks, melting snows, and flash floods brought bits of rock that became sand grains out of the mountains and to the valley floor. When sand lay exposed, southwesterly...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Colorado |
| Size | 32,643 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.7679, -105.5677 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 29) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 4 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBlanca Wetlands Rx
16 mi from the center point · 208 acres
- WildfireAspen Acres
32 mi from the center point · 102,004 acres · 82% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.1 mi
- 2.8 miZapata Ranch Headquarters ↗Mosca, CO
- 12.6 miHoward Store ↗Hooper, CO
- 12.7 miCreststone School ↗Crestone, CO
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
32,643 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Great Sand Dunes Wilderness in?
Colorado.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Great Sand Dunes Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Medano Pass Primitive Road Campsites, 0.2 miles out. 4 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.768, -105.568. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Great Sand Dunes Wilderness right now?
2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Blanca Wetlands Rx at 16 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 29 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Great Sand Dunes Wilderness?
4 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Superintendent's Residence, Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Zapata Ranch Headquarters.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.