Great Sand Dunes Backcountry itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Great Sand Dunes Backcountry route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Great Sand Dunes Backcountry permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Great Sand Dunes Backcountry. One reservation is an ordered sequence of nights at named sites, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Dunes Parking Area is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 9
- Across the markers
- 11.6 mi
- Published route length
- 11.6 mi
How long it takes: 1-3 nights. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The Great Sand Dunes Backcountry route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
Dunes Parking Area
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Main lot and the start of the dunefield climb.
1.0 mile to Buck Creek
Mile 1.0
Buck Creek
Designated Sand Ramp site, 1.0 mile from the Amphitheater Parking Lot.
0.5 miles to First high ridge
Mile 1.5
First high ridge
The line you have to be past to camp. Plan a minimum of one hour of climbing to reach it.
1.3 miles to Escape Dunes
Mile 2.8
Escape Dunes
Designated site 2.8 miles from the Horse Parking Lot, where the dunes overrun the trail.
1.3 miles to Indian Grove
Mile 4.1
Indian Grove
Designated site with a privy, 4.1 miles from the Horse Parking Lot.
0.9 miles to Little Medano
Mile 5.0
Little Medano
Designated site 5.0 miles along the Sand Ramp Trail.
2.0 miles to Aspen
Mile 7.0
9,240 ft
Aspen
At 9,240 feet, the highest designated backcountry site in the park.
3.1 miles to Cold Creek
Mile 10.1
Cold Creek
Designated site 10.1 miles from the Horse Parking Lot.
1.5 miles to Sand Creek
Mile 11.6
Sand Creek
The far end of the Sand Ramp Trail, with a bear box and the only legal fire ring in the backcountry.
Getting a Great Sand Dunes Backcountry for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Great Sand Dunes Backcountry dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Great Sand Dunes Backcountry around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.