Complete Guide to Eloping in Great Sand Dunes National Park

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Colorado is known for its dramatic mountain ranges, alpine lakes, and snow-capped peaks – but did you know that we also have one of the most epic sand deserts in North America? Great Sand Dunes National Park is a wilderness area unlike anything else in the state, making for an absolutely unbeatable elopement experience. 

In this guide, I’ll walk you through all the essentials of eloping in Great Sand Dunes National Park, from location recommendations to permitting made easy. As a Colorado local, I can’t wait to help you plan a stress-free, totally unforgettable adventure in this epic park!

Where is Great Sand Dunes National Park?

We’re incredibly fortunate to have four designated National Parks in Colorado, three of which are located in the southern part of the state – including the Great Sand Dunes. This vast dunefield lies in a remote region of the San Luis Valley, about 30 minutes north of the town of Alamosa and 2.5 hours from Colorado Springs. 

If you’re flying in for your elopement at the Great Sand Dunes, you’ll want to book flights into Colorado Springs (COS), since it’s the closest major city to the park. I highly recommend having a Colorado highway map on hand once you hit the road – sometimes mapping apps and GPS programs can misdirect you onto hiking trails or 4WD roads to reach the park!

Why Elope in Great Sand Dunes National Park?

Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this park offers some of the most diverse and surreal landscapes in the region. And I’m not just talking about the massive sand dunes – there’s also grasslands, wetlands, tundra, creeks, forests, and even alpine lakes to be explored. Who would’ve thought that the mountains and desert landscapes could coexist so beautifully in the same area?

Aside from the rest of this spectacular scenery, the sand dunes are the main event of this national park, and for good reason. They’re actually the highest sand dunes in North America, with the entire field spanning across 30 square miles, from ~8,000’ to nearly 14,000’ above sea level. It’s wild to think about the fact that these dunes started forming over 400,000 years ago, and hold so much significance in the history and geology of the San Luis Valley!

Great Sand Dunes National Park is a truly unique place to elope for many reasons, from the otherworldly scenery to the wide variety of activities, experiences, and outdoor recreation available in the area. Whether you lean more toward long hikes and challenging routes, or you’re like me and prefer something a bit more low-key, the dunes have something to offer to every visitor, in all four seasons. 

Plus, did I mention that Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is also an International Dark Sky Park? Because of its remote location, high elevation, and dry air, the park experiences minimal light pollution and offers unreal opportunities to see the stars and the Milky Way. A little later in this guide, I’ll go into more detail about how to time your elopement correctly for the best stargazing!

FAQ’s About Visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park

Before we get any further, let’s go through a few FAQ’s about visiting the park so you know exactly what to expect for your elopement.

Does Great Sand Dunes National Park require reservations?

Nope! Unlike some national parks that receive a much higher volume of foot traffic (Rocky Mountain NP, for example), Great Sand Dunes National Park doesn’t require any Timed Entries or reservations. Simply purchase a valid entrance pass, visit during regular park hours, and you’re good to explore to your heart’s content!

Can you drive through Great Sand Dunes National Park?

Yes, there are 4 miles of paved road throughout the park that are drivable by regular 2WD vehicles. This road will connect you from the visitor center to the parking area at the dunes! Medano Pass Primitive Road is the only road that requires a high-clearance, 4WD vehicle.

Are dogs allowed in Great Sand Dunes National Park?

As long as they’re leashed up and well-behaved, you can bring your dogs with you into Great Sand Dunes National Park. Just make sure to protect them from the heat and hot sand surfaces as you would yourself: have them wear booties or other protective footwear, bring lots of water, and give them breaks in the shade when needed!

Where should we stay when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park?

There are two camping areas within Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve that I’d recommend: Piñon Flats Campground and the campsites on Medano Pass Primitive Road. Piñon Flats is open from April 1st to October 31st each year, and is located just a mile north of the visitor center – so it’s super cool to stay so close to the dunes. If you have a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, then you can also access any of the 21 backcountry campsites along Medano Pass.

If you’d rather stay outside of the park but still want to be close by, there are plenty of other campsites and lodging nearby. During my own trip to the dunes, I stayed at a really cool campsite called Ramble – ideal if you want more of a bougie desert campsite!

Where to Elope in Great Sand Dunes National Park

Wondering where the best elopement locations are in Great Sand Dunes National Park? I’ve outlined the different landscapes you can expect to explore below, as well as a couple of the most popular dunes that I’d recommend for your ceremony.

Dunes

Fun fact about the dunes: there are actually no trails anywhere! You can go wherever the wind takes you. This means you have total freedom to explore the dunes on your elopement day without restriction, and you won’t have to worry about accidentally going off-trail. 

High Dune and Star Dune are two popular dunes to consider checking out during your visit, depending on how much effort you’re looking to put in. High Dune is easily the most iconic destination in the park, offering views of the entire dunefield. You can expect your total round-trip hiking time to be about 2 hours over 2.5 miles, if you want to complete the entire thing, or longer if you need to get acclimated to the higher elevations of this ridge.

Star Dune is a bit more challenging, with an average round-trip hiking time of about 6 hours over 6 miles to the summit. It’s actually tied with another dune in the park, Hidden Dune, as the two tallest dunes in North America, so it’s certainly a lengthier trek.

But no worries if you’re not exactly feeling that long/arduous of a hike for your elopement day – there’s no need to summit an entire dune in order to experience these insane landscapes! You’ll get to enjoy the views no matter how high up you climb.

Forested Trails

Want to escape the heat of the dunes and immerse yourself in greenery for a little while? You might be surprised to learn that Great Sand Dunes National Park isn’t solely limited to sand dunes – it’s got quite a few forested trails, too! Trails like Montville Nature Trail, Mosca Pass Trail, and Sand Ramp Trail are great options for a shadier adventure on a hot summer day, weaving through gorgeous aspen and evergreen forests. Medano Pass Primitive Road also takes you along scenic forested roads, with especially beautiful foliage during peak fall colors (high-clearance, 4WD required).

Alpine Trails

I told you that this park has it all! Couples who are craving a retreat into the mountains will be glad to hear that Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve also offers access to a few different alpine trails. Spots such as Medano Lake, Music Pass, and Sand Creek Lake all boast stunning alpine scenery if you’re up for a higher-elevation adventure. 

The Best Time of Year to Elope in Great Sand Dunes National Park

When planning your Great Sand Dunes elopement, it’s especially important to pay attention to seasonality and to choose the right time of year. In this section, I’ll be sharing the main variables you’ll want to consider when picking your elopement date, as well as key info about the park’s high-desert climate to help you pack properly.

Heat & surface temperatures

Great Sand Dunes National Park is not somewhere you can elope in the middle of a warm summer day. The sand surface can reach up to a whopping 150°F on the hottest of days, and trust me – that kind of heat is not only unbearable for more than a few minutes, but also gets dangerous! 

We want to avoid heat exhaustion, so it’s better to be safe than sorry: if you’re going to elope in the summer, opt for an early-morning or evening adventure. Orrr head into the mountains to cool off. Otherwise, I’d recommend sticking to eloping at Great Sand Dunes NP in the shoulder seasons – from around late April to May (spring) or late September to October (fall).

Wind

It’s also essential to note that the dunes were formed by wind and are ever-changing. You can expect it to be windy at the sand dunes no matter what time of year you elope – it’s all part of the experience!

Thunderstorms

Along with the high winds also come thunderstorms, which are especially common in the afternoons from July to August. If you feel a thunderstorm coming on while you’re out in the sand, you should leave the dunes to avoid dangerous lightning strikes.

Road accessibility

This one isn’t as important for the sand dunes as it is, say, in the San Juan Mountains – but the park does have a main road that opens and closes seasonally! As I’ve mentioned, Medano Pass Primitive Road is a 22-mile road connecting Great Sand Dunes with Colorado State Highway 69, accessible only to high-clearance 4WD vehicles. The road crosses the creek itself as well as areas of deep sand, and is open from mid-May through late November.

Star visibility

Last but not least, consider the skies when picking what time of year you want to elope! If you’re interested in taking advantage of this park’s amazing night skies, August & September are the best times of year to see constellations and the Milky Way. Make sure to time it around a new moon so there’s less light pollution, and aim to be outside at least 1.5 hours after sunset or 1.5 hours before sunrise.

How to Get Permits for Your Great Sand Dunes National Park Elopement

Getting excited about your elopement in the sand dunes?! I am too – there are just a few last logistical things we need to cover! This section covers what you need to know about obtaining a wedding permit in Great Sand Dunes National Park, as well as which entrance pass you’ll need.

If this feels a little complicated, don’t worry: when we work together, I’ll share my resources that go deep into all the official stuff. For now, I’ll cover the basics to get you started.

Entrance Fees & Passes

Just like any other US National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park requires all visitors to pay an entrance fee. You’ve got three options:

  1. Standard Entrance Pass ($15-$25): Great for one-time visits to GSDNP specifically
  2. GSDNP Annual Pass ($45): Ideal if you’ll be visiting this specific park more than 2 times in a year
  3. America the Beautiful Pass ($80): The best bang for your buck if you’re a frequent NP visitor

You’ll need to purchase an entrance pass to cover your own car, and so will any guests/vendors who are tagging along for the journey in their own separate cars.

Elopement & Wedding Special Use Permits

Great Sand Dunes NP only allows two weddings per day at any given location, so it’s important that you apply for your date ahead of time. Otherwise, you may not get the specific spot you’re envisioning for your ceremony. 

A few key things to note about wedding and elopement permits in Great Sand Dunes National Park:

  • Your permit comes with a non-refundable $200 application fee
  • Ceremony permits are only given for weekdays
  • Carpooling/shuttling is strongly encouraged
  • Ceremonies are limited to 2 hours max
  • No decor, tables, tents, floral displays, etc. are allowed in the park (you won’t need them with these landscapes!)
  • You can apply starting January 1st the year of your ceremony (e.g. applications for any 2027 date are accepted starting January 1st, 2027)
  • You and everyone in your party will still need to pay the regular Entrance Fee, even with a wedding permit

Permitted Elopement & Wedding Locations

A few important things you should know about permitted elopements & weddings at the Great Sand Dunes:

  • You can have up to 15 people at your ceremony in the dune field (including the two of you, guests, vendors, photographer, etc.)
  • Sites are first-come, first-served based on when you apply for your permit
  • You can take pictures anywhere in the park, as long as you indicate this on your permit application

How to get a Special Use Permit for your elopement in Great Sand Dunes National Park:

  1. Complete the Special Use Permit Application, and be sure to include the following:
  • Applicant information
  • Activity description
  • Specific date, location, & time
  • Number of participants & vehicles
  • Signature
  1. Send your completed application and $200 application fee to:

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Attn: Chief Ranger

11500 State Hwy 150

Mosca, CO 81146

  1. After review, you’ll receive your permit for signature
  2. Wait to receive a final copy of your authorized permit
  3. Have a printed or digital copy of your final permit on hand the day of your wedding

If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry: as someone very familiar with the process, I’ll help you every step of the way!

Epic Activities for Your Great Sand Dunes National Park Elopement

I feel like I could go on forever about how crazy amazing this park is, but hopefully by now the images have said it all. The last thing I want to share with you is a list of activities to do in & around Great Sand Dunes National Park – all of which would be such awesome additions to your elopement timeline. 

Like I said earlier: no matter whether you’re picturing a more laid-back, relaxed elopement or a thrilling day with more adventurous vibes, there’s something for everyone. Your bucket list will be calling your name with all of these 😉

→ Go sand sledding or sandboarding down the dunes*

*(Bring your own equipment, or rent gear nearby before heading into the park!)

→ Camp underneath the starry skies (and look for the Milky Way)

→ Cool off with a swim in Medano Creek

→ Take a horseback ride through the dunes

→ Catch the sunset from Lower Dunes Overlook

→ Book a private aerial tour and admire the dunes from above

→ Book a Jeep tour along the scenic Medano Pass Primitive Road

→ Hike to the nearby Zapata Falls

All-Inclusive Great Sand Dunes National Park Elopement Packages

If a big, traditional wedding isn’t your vibe, and you’d much rather venture across a vast expanse of the continent’s most epic sand dunes… then congratulations: you’ve found your guide to lead the way. And to take epic photos, while we’re at it!

As your Great Sand Dunes National Park elopement photographer, I’ll be by your side to support you through everything: the tricky parts, the fun stuff, the emotional moments, and everything in between. From brainstorming activity ideas, to creating your timeline, to making the permit process as breezy as these sand dunes, you can trust that your day is in the best of hands.

If you’re ready to plan an unforgettable adventure among these extraordinary desert landscapes, fill out the form below to learn more about elopement packages at the Great Sand Dunes!