Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was certified as an International Dark-Sky Park in 2019.
The dry air, high elevation, and lack of light pollution all make the park an ideal dark-sky destination.
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains shelters the park from much of the sky glow created by Colorado’s Front Range cities, further allowing Great Sand Dunes to maintain some of the darkest skies on the Colorado Plateau.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is supported by its member organization, Western National Parks Association.
Photo credit: Milky Way over Medano Creek and Dunes | NPS photo by Patrick Myers