Geology Picture of the Week, September 12-18, 2004: Great Sand Dunes National PARK

Washington Post ^ | September 14, 2004

[cogitator]

The link to the Washington Post article above is about the new designation, promoting Great Sand Dunes from National Monument to National Park. The picture below I found searching on Google; it's not from the WashPost. I'm sure that I've done a previous Geology Picture of the Week on Great Sand Dunes (one of the most fascinating places I've ever visited, but I didn't get to see the pulsating Medano Creek - best time to see it is during spring melt season - I was there in January. So here's a really nice picture of creek, dunes, and mountains:

Link with two more images and short description:

Great Sand Dunes National Monument Park

Actually, reading this indicates it was upgraded to a Park in 2000, but that wasn't official until they purchased the surrounding ranchland/water rights. The National Park is bigger than the NM due to the addition of the new Baca Wildlife Refuge.

Google image searching on "Great Sand Dunes" provides plenty of other great images (and other places, too). Here's an example.

And here's a beautiful photograph of the waves in Medano Creek:

More about the creek: Mysterious waters of the dunes

[GVnana]

Crossed the Rockies a couple of times, around Estes Park. Long time ago. Love to see more of CO, Bryce and especially looking forward to the four corners area Mesa Verde, Sangre de Cristos, etc. Love the lure and lore about the Anasazi.