Great Sands National Park and Zapata Falls

These beige, dusty dunes are definitely something to check out, There is a river that runs along one edge of the dunes and disappears into the ground to fill a enormous unseen reservoir. The dunes are created by competing winds that push the dust against the mountain and then back onto itself. There are camping opportunities as well as several good hiking trails.

It is easy to combine a day trip to the Sand Dunes with a hike up to Zapata Falls.

We visited on April 20th. The waterfall was gloriously still frozen but you could hear the water rushing under your feet and see part of it flowing. The hike is 1/2 mile but you gain 200’ in elevation from about 9050 to 9250 feet in elevation. It took us about 15 minutes to get up to the base of the falls.

If you visit the falls when the river is flowing, there is a very short hike around a bend through the river to see the falls. It has been recommended to wear appropriate shoes since the rocks can be slippery and the water is cold.

Just south of the Dunes and Falls on hey 150 are a few nice BLM land camping options.