Which national park in the US contains the tallest sand dunes in North America?

Which national park in the US contains the tallest sand dunes in North America? Great Sand Dunes National Park is the answer.

Located in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, the park’s dunefield rises dramatically against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The tallest dune, Hidden Dune, reaches about 741 feet (225 meters) from base to summit; nearby Star Dune is just slightly shorter. The park’s main dunefield covers roughly 30 square miles.

The dunes formed from sand deposited by ancient lakes and streams. Winds push the sand toward the mountains, while opposing winds and seasonal Medano Creek help recycle and build the dunes. This unusual combination allows them to grow exceptionally tall.

A common mix-up is White Sands National Park in New Mexico, whose brilliant dunes are made of gypsum rather than ordinary quartz-rich sand. Death Valley also has impressive dunes, but Great Sand Dunes holds North America’s tallest dune system. The area became a national monument in 1932 and was redesignated a national park and preserve in 2000.