National_Geographic_Traveller_UK_June_2017

USA
Grand Prismatic
Spring, Midway Geyser
Basin, Yellowstone
National Park
BELOW: Star Dune,
Great Sand Dunes
National Park
Colorado
GREAT SAND DUNES
IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; ALAMY
Standing on the top of the Star Dune, it’s
hard to believe you’re still in the US. Rolling
desert spreads out for 30sq miles in all
directions, like a sea of sand. At dawn, as the
first rays break over the Sangre de Cristos
Mountains, the dunes are flushed pink; at
sunset they turn golden, long geometric
shadows snaking across the land like a
Mondrian painting.
They’re formed from the remains of an
ancient dried-out lake. Sand is swept up from
the vast San Luis Valley by the wind and
pushed against the base of the mountains.
When storms rage, the wind races back in
the opposite direction, lifting the dunes
higher. Grain by grain, over thousands of
years, these desert mountains were born.
Getting to the top is hard, but getting
down is easy: strap on a sandboard or sledge
(available to rent nearby) and scream all the
way down. Alternatively, hike just a couple
miles into the dunes, pitch a tent and enjoy
the silence and stars of your own private
desert oasis.
750FT // THE HEIGHT OF THE
STAR DUNE — THE TALLEST
SAND DUNE IN NORTH AMERICA
June 2017 77