Hey weekend warriors! Anyone else getting excited for summer camping trips?! I don’t know about y’all, but one of my favorite feelings is leaving work early on a Friday, grabbing some camping gear and some friends, and heading to the mountains. For me, the anticipation of the trip is huge – I get SO excited a few days before a trip (even if it’s just a quick two day getaway!)
One of my favorite camping trips that Ryan and I have taken was to Great Sand Dunes National Park. The dunes are nestled right up against a beautiful snowcapped mountain range, and the contrast of landscapes is breathtaking!
Where to camp:
We stayed just outside of the national park entrance at Oasis Campground, and it was the perfect set up for Ryan and I. Campsites are $25 a night, but it’s worth it to be so close to the park IMO! There’s also a small restaurant at the base of the campsites where I grabbed a quick cup of coffee before we set off on our hike (because coffee is LIFE!)
map via nps.gov
Since the sand can get HOT during the day, we started our hike pretty early (around 7:30 AM). If you’re wanting to get a good hike in, definitely plan on getting to the Dunes Parking lot early, because it fills up quickly during the summertime! We made it up to Star Dune, and the views did NOT disappoint! It was one of the coolest hikes I’ve ever been on.
One word of advice for this hike: bring plenty of water!! I’m always surprised at how thirsty I get when I’m hiking at altitude haha.
What are you looking forward to about summer? I’d love to hear what your favorite weekend getaway is!
Thanks for reading!
shop:
Amazing! I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore.