Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
When eco-systems collide in the arid southwestOver the last 440,000 years, the Great Sand Dunes have shifted and blown in gusts to heights of 750 feet, making them the largest dunes in North America. Besides the great beauty of the windswept ocean of sand, the arid landscape runs directly up to the feet of the Sangre de Cristo Range, a narrow strip of the Rocky Mountains.
As the ecosystems collide near the dunes, the creation of the wondrous place can be perfectly summed up. Each part of the environment aided the creation of the sweeping dunes. The Great Sand Dunes lie in the flood plain of the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Over time, the river carried sand deposits into the area, and wind swept the sand to the base of the mountains, causing the dunes to rise out of the valley.
Since the dunes lie on the flood plain, just a few feet beneath the dry sand are precious water deposits, a rare commodity in the arid Southwest. In 2004, the area was made a national preserve, to protect the dunes and the water that lies just beneath the high desert surface.
Read more about Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve on Atlas Obscura...
Category: Geological Oddities
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Edited by: jwinn, atimian