Tucked between two of Colorado's most towering mountain ranges is a landscape that feels almost fictional. 30 square miles of dunes rising taller than the Gateway Arch, somehow thriving in the heart of the Rockies — it’s a place that you have to see to believe.
In this episode, we're digging into some fun facts that will show you why the Great Sand Dunes National Park is so incredible – including how it came to be and why it almost didn’t survive.
In this episode, we cover:
How the tallest dunes in all of North America came to be
The three main dunes: Star Dune, Hidden Dune, and High Dune
The rare surge flow phenomenon that can send waves 12 to 20 inches high
The naturally magnetic black sand called magnetite, and why a lightning storm can make your compass spin
Why geologists still can't agree on how old these dunes actually are
The Great Sand Dunes gold rush of the 1920s — and the local women's organization that saved the park from becoming a gravel pit
How a water development threat decades later nearly destroyed the sand recycling system
The 2004 legislation that made the park four times larger and solidified its protection
Your task for today: Find the nonprofit partner for your favorite national park, follow them on social, and let us know who they are over on the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram so we can support them too!
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