fourwhitefeet

Here are some photos of Jessie at the Dunes many years ago. Missing the Frisbee or not, she was one amazing dog!

A few weeks ago I wrote that dogs are not allowed at the Dunes since it became a National Park. Well, I was happy to learn they have changed their policy. Dogs are allowed on the Dunes if kept on a leash. Owners, of course, are expected to clean up after their pets.

This makes Great Sand Dunes National Park one of the few in the National Park system that allows dogs beyond parking the lot!! Some do not even allow pets inside visitors’ cars within their boundaries. I find the exclusion of pets from our open-space and the general complacency about it pretty disturbing, but I will save that topic for another post. For today, I am going to celebrate that Bonnie and I can camp and play at the Sand Dunes.

If you want to visit the Dunes with your dog remember that on sunny days the sand gets too hot for pets to walk on. There is no shade in the parking areas. The water level of the river in the photo is below the sand much of the year. If it’s going to be sunny and not cold you should visit on another day or make other arrangements for your furry family members.

The Piñon Flats Campground does have shaded sites so you could hang out there during the day and hike when the sand is cool. Even before the Sand Dunes was a National Park camping sites usually filled on weekends and holidays. At this time only group sites can be reserved.