Great Sand Dunes National Park
August 21, 2003
Provided and copyright by: Mike Barondeau, Edmunds Central School
Summary authors & editors: Mike Barondeau
The above photo was taken early last month and shows some of the huge dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Monument, located in the Rocky Mountains of south central Colorado. These forelorn sand dunes are the tallest in North America -- nearly 750 feet (227 m) tall and covering approximately 39 square miles (101 square km). They were formed by prevailing winds blowing from the southwest toward the northeast across the San Luis Valley. For thousands of years, sand carried by these winds has been deposited at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
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