<P> Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to 750 feet ( 229 m ) tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley , and an adjacent national preserve located in the Sangre de Cristo Range , in south - central Colorado , United States . The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17 , 1932 by President Herbert Hoover . The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres ( 55.5 sq mi ; 143.8 km ) . A boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve was authorized on November 22 , 2000 and then established by an act of Congress on September 24 , 2004 . The park encompasses 107,342 acres ( 167.7 sq mi ; 434.4 km ) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres ( 65.1 sq mi ; 168.7 km ) for a total of 149,028 acres ( 232.9 sq mi ; 603.1 km ) . The recreational visitor total was 486,935 in 2017 , about 25 % more than the 388,308 visitors of 2016 . </P>
<P> Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is an American national park that conserves an area of large sand dunes up to 750 feet ( 229 m ) tall on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley , and an adjacent national preserve located in the Sangre de Cristo Range , in south - central Colorado , United States . The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17 , 1932 by President Herbert Hoover . The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres ( 55.5 sq mi ; 143.8 km ) . A boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve was authorized on November 22 , 2000 and then established by an act of Congress on September 24 , 2004 . The park encompasses 107,342 acres ( 167.7 sq mi ; 434.4 km ) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres ( 65.1 sq mi ; 168.7 km ) for a total of 149,028 acres ( 232.9 sq mi ; 603.1 km ) . The recreational visitor total was 486,935 in 2017 , about 25 % more than the 388,308 visitors of 2016 . </P>
where is great sand dunes national park located
where is great sand dunes national park located
on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley , and an adjacent national preserve located in the Sangre de Cristo Range , in south - central Colorado , United States
on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley , and an adjacent national preserve located in the Sangre de Cristo Range , in south - central Colorado , United States