Great Sand Dunes National Park With Dogs

Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park with dogs is a great option as it is one of the few National Parks that is fully dog friendly! That being said, before you venture out with you pup, you should know a couple things.

Top Tips For Bringing Dogs to the Dunes

1. The sand can get HOT so beware of your dog’s feet. We saw 1 dog with booties on.
2. Bring lots and lots of water. The walk to the tall dunes is a long trek through deeper sand.  The hike up the dunes is very tiring so be sure to stop for frequent water breaks.
3. There is no shade once you venture out to the dunes so go early morning or later afternoon. Better yet, if you can get a day that is cloudy, that is perfect!
4. The wind can whip the sand around so I’d also recommend eye protection. We used our Doggles which worked just fine.

Medano Creek

The park itself starts with the popular Medano Creek and many people come with tailgating type tents, chairs and food to set up for the day. The creek gets from about 1 inch to 5 inches deep and is pretty wide. From the creek, it is a 0.7 mile walk to the first small dune. The creek does dry up during the year so if that part of the park is important to you, be sure to check conditions first.

Renting Sand Sleds & Boards

You can rent sleds and surf boards at a couple spots outside the park (the park doesn’t rent them) to go cruising down the sand hills. This however, was not an easy process – see this travel post for rental tips. We shared a sled to take the corgis down since they were in their K9 Sport Sacks. Sledding was fun but it’s quite the workout walking back up the steep, deep sand hills especially with a corgi on your back. 🙂

Be Prepared & Have Fun!

As long as you come prepared for the sun and heat with protection for yourself and your dog you should be good to go. Photos don’t do this park justice to truly understand how tall the dunes are. This is a very unique spot that is worth a day trip if you are near the area.

For more dog friendly travel options, make sure to check out our posts here!