Max here with some very important wilderness backpacking info for you.
It's important to be well prepared when you go out in the wilderness, make sure you bring all the items listed.
| FISH NET | Bring a fish net even if you don't plan to use it, especially if you are going somewhere where there are very few other people who can help you out if you get stuck. | |
| STEELWIRE | Excellent for fixing stuff and building shelters and other useful things. You don't need a lot, just a couple of feet. | |
| BACKPACKING STOVE | If you look at almost every back packing stove on the market you will find that they all brag about their weight and their thermal output (how fast they can boil a quart of water). They're right about the weight, it's very important, but they never include the weight of the fuel you need to carry with you. If you include the fuel for a long trip your 3.5 ounce super light stove suddenly becomes a 2 pound monster. As far as the thermal output is concerned it makes absolutely no difference if it takes 3 minutes or 10 minutes to boil a quart of water. The perfect stove in my opinion is the Stratus Trailstove, it weighs a little bit less than 1 pound and it runs on wood. You pick the wood up yourself on site just like people did in the old days before fossil fuels so the total weight of the stove and the fuel you carry is always below a pound, no gas stove in the world can beat that. It takes about twice as long to boil a quart of water on it than on a gas stove but so what. | |
| FOLDING TOOL | I don't go anywhere without my Leatherman tool, especially not into the great outdoors. | |
| COOKING POT | A little cooking pot for boiling water and doing some light duty cooking is very important to have, especially if your water filter stops working. | |
| CAMPING SAW | It's good to have either a camp saw or a camping axe with you to cut wood. Camp saws are a lot lighter than camp axes but axes are faster and less tiring to use. If you're not planning to do a very large amount of woodcutting a saw is probably a better idea. But in the wintertime it may be worth it to bring an axe. | |
| SLEEPING PAD | Bring decent air mattresses for everyone to sleep on. They weigh more than sleeping pads but sleeping on a sleeping pad will drive you crazy. | |
| FIRST AID | Better safe than sorry, bring a first aid kit. | |
| FOLDING TOOL | This could be either a Swiss army type knife or a Leatherman type tool. Combined with your brain you can accomplish pretty much anything with a good multi-purpose tool. | |
| MOSQUITO PROTECTION | If you don't want to get eaten up by mosquitoes you'd better bring some mosquito coils or something of the sort. | |
| DUCT TAPE | Duct tape always saves the day. The unsung hero of the wilderness. | |
| LAMP | Light is a very important thing to have wherever you are since you can't see without it. | |
| STRING | Don't forget to bring some string, you always find a use for it. |
Locate water
The general rule is that water is always down in the bottom of the valley.
Even if you can't see water you can see the signs of water such as greener than usual vegetation, or a string of uniform vegetation, or a flock of birds.
If you need get to where the signs of water are but don't see any water you may decide to dig down, if you do always dig by the largest piece of vegetation, that's where there is most water.
Need more outdoors info? Go to www.goingoutside.com .
Mosca, CO
Nestled in southern Colorado, North America's tallest dunes rise over 700 feet high against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The wind shaped dunes glow beneath the rugged backdrop of the mountains. This geologic wonderland, containing 39 square miles of dunes, became a national monument in 1932. With the passage of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000, resources now also include alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000', ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands--all habitat for diverse wildlife and Rocky Mountain plant species.
CONTACTS
Email - GRSA_Interpretation@nps.gov
Fax- 719-378-2594
Write to
11500 Highway 150
Mosca, CO 81146-9798
Phone
Headquarters - 719-378-2312
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The monument is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Visitor center open daily, closed on winter holidays.
Getting There
PLANE - Limited air service is available to
Alamosa, Colorado. Airports in Colorado Springs, Denver, and Albuquerque
are all within 4 hours drive.
CAR - Great Sand Dunes National Monument is located 35 miles northeast of Alamosa,Colorado, reached by US Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 150 from the south. or from Colorado Highway 17 and County Six Mile Lane from the west.
BUS - Greyhound Bus Lines serve Alamosa and Blanca, CO, but do not enter the park.
Weather & Climate
In fall, winter, and spring, expect
moderate daytime temperatures and freezing to sub-zero temperatures at
night. Summer temperatures during the day average 70 to 80 degrees, lows
may drop to 40 degrees. Sand temperatures can reach 140 degrees in summer;
shoes are highly recommended for hiking the dunes.
Accessibility
The Visitor Center and restrooms are fully
accessible. There is an accessible trail at the visitor center, two
accessible campsites and one backcountry accessible campsite. Call
719-378-2312 ext 220 for more info.
Getting Around
By foot, bicycle, or personal vehicle. Please
note: bicycles are not permitted on trails.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
PER PERSON, 17
AND OLDER
$3 for 7 Days
$!0 for Annual
Great Sand
Dunes Annual Pass is good for the holder and everyone in the same car for
entry to Great Sand Dunes for one year from the month of purchase.
Activity Fee
CAMPING
$10 for Day
6 person
/ 2 vehicle limit per site.
CAMPING
Pinyon
Flats
Open All Year
Pinyon Flats campground is open year-round,
and has 88 campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fire
grates, picnic tables, flush toilets and drinking water available. The
campground is located in pinon/juniper forest and has excellent views of
the dunes and the Sangre de Christo mountains. Winter low temperatures
average between 0 and 13 degrees F. Fire wood can be purchased in the
visitor center, open daily 8:30 am to 4:340 pm.
FACILITIES
Visitor
Centers
MAIN
Open All Year 9 am to 4:30 pm
Phone -
719-378-2312 ext 220
Closures - Closed Christmas Day and New
Year's Day
Special Programs - Interpretive programs begin here
in the summer months.
Available Facilities - Visitor center has
a 15 minute video, exhibits, bookstore and computer touchscreen
information systems.