Great Sand Dunes Hiking and Backpacking Trips

Great Sand Dunes National Park: Star Dune Loop

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Ascend North America's tallest dunes for a day surrounded by alpine peaks, a desert valley, and shifting mountains of sand on this 6.6-mile loop in America's newest national park.

There are no reader trip reports for this region. Be the first to Submit a Trip Report for this region and it will appear right here.

A Piece of Quiet

BACKPACKER Review
America�s leading advocate of wilderness silence shows the way to Mt. Rainier National Park�s quietest corner. Plus: 9 more campsites with life-list listening.

Going to Extremes

BACKPACKER Review
Can you ever really have too much of a good thing? Once you've seen the biggest tree, largest glacier, and deepest canyon, nothing else compares.

North America's Highest Sandbox: Great Sand Dunes National Park

BACKPACKER Review
The most exotic hike in the United States is smack in the middle of the country: Welcome to Great Sand Dunes National Park.

May Close-to-Home Hikes

BACKPACKER Review
Our map team has been hard at work plotting the coolest hikes. Check out May's selections here.

Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.

Photos + Videos

Packing for a Backcountry Ski Day Kristin Hostetter shows you the essential gear, and how to pack it, for a day of backcountry skiing.	Adjust Your Pack Straps on the Trail Maximize your pack's comfort with a few easy, on-trail strap adjustments.

Life's Short, Hike More!

What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's new Life List: 10 experiences to add to your tick-listnow--and the key skills you need to nail them.