Sand dunes are like giant sandboxes for big kids to play in and hike on, so we came up with a list of our favorites from across the National Park Service (NPS) System. Unlike most NPS backcountry trails, dogs are allowed on many of these dunes if they are leashed and picked up after.
You might know gypsum as the white powder inside drywall panels. Gypsum readily dissolves in water, but here it forms sand dunes because no river drains the Tularosa Basin. The white color of the dunes does make for extra intense albedo, so be sure to bring sunglasses and carry plenty of water. Most of the wildlife here is nocturnal, but during the day you may spot a lizard species evolved to camouflage in the sand.
Update: As of December 20, 2019, the former National Monument is now called White Sands National Park.
Dunes composed of gypsum make a great destination for snow sledding year round, especially after a rainfall. It is fun to see children wearing T-shirts and shorts sliding down the sparkling white slopes.
Best Trail
Follow markers on the five-mile round trip Alkali Flat Trail that goes up and down dunes with views of the San Andres Mountains.
Instagram-worthy
Photo
The white dunes take on the colors of the sunset if you decide to backpack or take the ranger-guided Sunset Stroll.
Peak Season
Spring and fall, since it can be very hot in the summer.
Mostly paved and the packed dirt road is drivable by all vehicles.
Camping
Only backcountry camping is allowed in 10 designated sites for $3 per person, but that is dependent upon whether the military is conducting missile tests overnight so call ahead or check the schedule online. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park offers a full service campground south of Alamogordo.
Bleached earless lizard
Scott’s mother getting ready to sled down a sand dune in October
The white sands blooming in October
Scott’s mother sledding at their backcountry campsite in December
A raven about the park
Sunrise in December
Tiff getting ready to sled in May
This design we created to celebrate White Sands National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.
Explore More – What happens to the deep root system of a soaptree yucca when the dune it is growing on blows away?
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Death Valley is our favorite of the 9 National Parks in California. Ghost towns and abandoned mills abound throughout its 3.4-million acres, including Leadfield on the one-way dirt road through Titus Canyon. Most of the attractions are found in and around the historic Furnace Creek Inn: watch sunrise at Zabriskie Point or sunset at 5,475-foot Dantes View; hike through gorgeous Golden Canyon or under Natural Bridge; drive to the ironic Devils Golf Course or the colorful Artists Drive; and walk into Badwater Basin, which at -282 feet below-sea-level is the lowest point in North America, even more impressive since it sits directly beneath 11,049-foot Telescope Peak.
Highlights
Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, Golden Canyon Trail, Devils Golf Course, Artists Drive, Salt Creek Interpretive Trail, Titus Canyon, Telescope Peak, sand dunes
Must-Do Activity
Death Valley averages less than 2 inches of precipitation annually, yet less than 10,000 years ago Badwater Basin was the bottom of a massive inland lake, the remnants of which be found along Salt Creek Interpretive Trail. Here tiny desert pupfish survive in the salty, hot water. The related and endangered Devils Hole pupfish can be seen at a disconnected part of Death Valley National Park surrounded by Nevada’s Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
Best Trail
There are great trails throughout this park, but we prefer walking wherever we want on the many sand dunes. The best are the Panamint Dunes; tucked on a mountain slope they require a three mile hike to reach. That means when you drop your sleeping bag on top you will likely have the place to yourself. More centrally located are the popular Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. In the northern section of the park the steep Eureka Dunes have a free primitive campground at their base.
Instagram-worthy
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A dry, flat lakebed in the northwestern corner of the park provides a racetrack for rocks of all shapes and sizes. High winds and ice crystals are the key to their movement, which is clearly shown in their wake. Do not let the 26 mile dirt road stop you from visiting this spectacular site. It is passable by most vehicles when the road is dry (we drove our mini-van there)and when the Racetrack is wet you should refrain from walking on it anyway.
Peak Season
Spring and fall, with summer’s being incredibly hot except at the highest elevations. However, it can snow just about any month of the year.
The main roads are paved, but to really enjoy the park you should drive a high-clearance vehicle (rental 4x4s are available near Furnace Creek). As of December 2018, Scotty’s Castle is still inaccessible due to flood damage on the road.
Camping
There are campgrounds, but a unique aspect of this National Park is that you can disperse camp for free along many of its dirt roads. Backcountry camping is also free and does not require a permit.
Sunset on the Panamint Dunes
Tiff backpacking on the Panamint Dunes
Scotty’s Castle will be inaccessible until at least 2020
A March wildflower bloom
Scott with some salt formations at Devil’s Golfcourse
Zabriskie Point sunset
Desert pupfish on the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail.
Raven in Death Valley
This design we created to celebrate Death Valley National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.
Explore More – What is the connection between Death Valley, 20 Mule Team Borax, and Stephen Mather (who in 1916 became the first Director of the National Park Service)?
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A 20th-century battleground east of Chicago between industrialists seeking to build more steel mills and conservationists wanting to preserve natural diversity, in 1966 Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was created as a compromise between the opposing sides. Its scattered bogs and dunes surround a beachside state park on Lake Michigan that dates back to the 1920s, with an Art Deco bathhouse dating to that era.
Update: As of February 15, 2019 it is called Indiana Dunes National Park.
Highlights
West Beach, Bailey Homestead, Chellberg Farm, Century of Progress Homes, Mount Baldy, Glenwood Dunes Trail, heron rookery
Must-Do Activity
It is worth the price of admission to access the trail system within Indiana Dunes State Park to complete the 3 Dunes Challenge. Take your photos back to the joint NPS-State Park visitor center to claim your prizes.
Best Trail
Cowles Bog Trail covers 5 rugged miles and accesses an isolated beach with views of the Chicago skyline. The trail to the top of Mount Baldy is closed due to erosion.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Beach grasses with a backdrop of a steel mill are a surreal mix on the Cowles Bog Trail.
Peak Season
The park is open year round, with the Lake Michigan beaches attracting crowds in the summer.
No admission for most of the National Park, except $6 per vehicle for summer lifeguards at West Beach and $12 per vehicle day use fee year round to enter Indiana Dunes State Park.
Road Conditions
All roads are paved.
Camping
While it is not on the beach, we enjoyed the quiet Dunewood Campground (fee) with its hot showers.
Historic bathhouse at Indiana Dunes State Park.The Chicago skyline is visible from the beach.Scott hiking near Mount BaldyArmco-Ferro HouseFlorida Tropical HouseWieboldt-Rostone HouseEgretBailey HomesteadRaven about the park
This design we created to celebrate Indiana Dunes National Park is available on a variety of products at Cafe Press and Amazon.
Explore More – Mount Baldy stands 126 feet tall, but how much shorter is that than Mount Tom in neighboring Indiana Dunes State Park?
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Usually sand dunes are associated with deserts, but in southern Colorado they sit at 8,200 feet and are surrounded by snowy mountains, pine trees, and Medano Creek where kids splash and make sandcastles. These dunes are the tallest in North America, up to 750 feet in height, blown in grain by grain from the San Juan Mountains, 65 miles to the west.
Highlights
Medano Creek, High Dune, Medano Pass Primitive Road
Must-Do Activity
The height and steepness of the dunes makes them a great place to try sandboarding or sand sledding, which works best when the sand is wet. If you don’t have a homemade sandboard, you can rent one in the nearby town of Alamosa or bring a plastic snow sled (round saucers seem to work well).
Best Trail
Blaze your own trail to the top of 650-foot tall High Dune. The 2.3-mile roundtrip climb is quite a workout at this elevation while sliding backwards in the sand, but bounding downhill makes up for it. This park is unique because it allows dogs on the dunes, but bring foot protection for your canine on sunny days.
Instagram-worthy Photo
Stay in the dune field at sunset for long shadows on the dunes. A major bonus if you visit in the spring or fall for a backdrop of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Peak Season
Due to its high elevation (8,200 feet), summer is the best time to spend the night, otherwise it can be very cold.
$20 per vehicle or America the Beautiful Pass, but it is typically not collected in winter months.
Road Conditions
Other than the four-wheel drive road over Medano Pass, passenger vehicles can access all trailheads. The park provides specialized wheelchairs are available for crossing Medano Creek and exploring the sand dunes.
Camping
Pinyon Flats Campground (fee) has two 44-site loops frequented by mule deer. Backpacking permits are free to overnight on the dunes where the stars shine brightest. First-come, first-served campsites are available along the high-clearance Medano Pass Primitive Road. Dispersed camping is allowed in the neighboring Rio Grande and San Isabel National Forests.
Pronghorns grazing in front of the sand dunes in December.
Tiff sledding down a wet (i.e. fast) dune in October
October brings fall colors to the cottonwoods
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Explore More – What time of year can visitors “boogie board” the waves in Medano Creek?
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