Camping trip - Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park/Medano Pass 4x4 road June 6-8, 2014 (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

alia176

SILVER Star
Joined
Aug 21, 2003
Threads
791
Messages
15,438
Location
Tijeras, NM
I'm planning a family camping trip to the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park/Medano Pass 4x4 road on June 6th-June 8th. I'd like to camp on the Medano Pass 4x4 road this time, instead of camping at the official CG. This is primitive camping and we'll need to cross the creek in order to access this road. Snow melt is allowing the Medano creek to be full of water, so the kids can play in the temporary beaches. You can camp at the official park campground by going through www.recreation.gov

Medano pass road:
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/medano-pass-road.htm

Great Sand Dunes Nat'l park
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/index.htm

Scroll to the bottom for some more recent info on Medano Pass and bat watching at the Orient mine.
 
Last edited:
I really need to get out before Ouray.
 
I was just there last week and it was beautiful! I was just thinking I should talk you (&others) into a trip over the pass. There was a fair bit of water running but I bet there is a lot more now after the snow. Good chance of making it a snow run as well, website says trees need to be cleared and a beaver damn is creating higher water at one of the crossings.

The-Great-Sand-Dunes.jpg
 
Sounds like fun but I will be fishing the Conejos river with some buddies that weekend.
 
I was just there last week and it was beautiful! I was just thinking I should talk you (&others) into a trip over the pass. There was a fair bit of water running but I bet there is a lot more now after the snow. Good chance of making it a snow run as well, website says trees need to be cleared and a beaver damn is creating higher water at one of the crossings.

View attachment 899062

Steve,

if we were to go there one or two weeks later, the water should still be flowing, right? I think I'm about have a serous work conflict with flying to TN. Boss said not to book a return flight!
 
Kinda makes you wonder, don't it?
 
Steve,

if we were to go there one or two weeks later, the water should still be flowing, right? I think I'm about have a serous work conflict with flying to TN. Boss said not to book a return flight!

I would think there would be at least some water? Those are some 14ers if I remember right so the high elevation snow should still be melting off.
 
Here is the stream in front of the dunes...
DSC_0347.jpg
 
Update: this trip is still on for this weekend. Hoping to pull out of town mid day Friday. Medano Pass road is good until the 4th crossing, where the road is washed out. So, we got about eight camp sites to choose from and the ranger said that the traffic on this road is sparse.

Once again, we'll try to head up to the Orient Mine and go check out the Bat's pulling out of the caves at evening time. It's a nice little hike to get up to the mouth of the cave.
IMAG0359.jpg
IMAG0360.jpg
IMAG0361.jpg
IMAG0362.jpg
IMAG0356.jpg
 
I was hoping for recent photos...2011/09/04? :flipoff2:
 
I really want to go to the Great Sand Dunes and run Medano Pass. Sorry I couldn't make THIS trip but you know I am a picture whore.....so......gimme some.
 
Alirght, alirght, pics are coming, YESH.....!!!

We camped at the Zapata Falls BLM camp ground and I highly recommend it for $11/night. Camping at Medano Pass 4x4 road was a no go due to all the sites packed full by Thur night. If the road wasn't washed out, finding a spot would've been non issue.

If you want to play in the water and want to camp on the Medano road, get there by Thurs night!

000_0001.JPG
102_5861.JPG
102_5868.JPG
102_5869.JPG
102_5875.JPG
 
More pics....
102_5887.JPG
102_5893.JPG
102_5894.JPG
102_5896.JPG
102_5901.JPG
 
The road to Zapata Falls CG is only 2.5 miles long but it is very washboardy so air down a little.
102_5880.JPG
102_5881.JPG
102_5884.JPG
102_5904.JPG
 
Great pics as usual.....thanks.....but I'm a little confused, you mentioned that the "road is washed out".....does that mean the Feds did not let you go to Medano Pass??.....I would hate to go all the way to Great Sand Dunes and not run THAT trail.....? Wassup?
 
Great pics as usual.....thanks.....but I'm a little confused, you mentioned that the "road is washed out".....does that mean the Feds did not let you go to Medano Pass??.....I would hate to go all the way to Great Sand Dunes and not run THAT trail.....? Wassup?


read the alert on this page Medano pass road:
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/medano-pass-road.htm

See where is says 18 sites are now open? It was only 8 sites that were open when we went there so the road length was severely reduced.
 
Looks like a fun time!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom