Great Sand Dunes National Monument

   Great Sand Dunes National Monument, which comprises 36,609.19 acres in South central Colorado, was established in 1932. The monument is situated along the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, between Mosca Pass on the south and the Crestone Needles on the north, in the San Luis Valley. The shifting sand dunes are the last remnants of a once vast prehistoric desert. Rising more than 1,500 feet, these are among the largest and highest dunes in the United States. Many legends and superstitions are associated with the region.