How much is the entrance fee at Great Sand Dunes?

NPS lists $25 for a Private Vehicle and $20 for a Motorcycle. Walk-in and bicycle visitors pay $15 per person.

Is there an annual pass for Great Sand Dunes?

NPS lists an Annual Entrance pass for this park at $45. The park also accepts the America the Beautiful pass.

What is the busiest month at Great Sand Dunes?

In 2025 the busiest month was June, with 75,009 recorded visits. January was the quietest, with 5,475.

Are dogs allowed at Great Sand Dunes?

NPS rules say pets must be kept in a crate or cage or on a leash of six feet or less where pets are allowed. NPS lists pets as permitted on activities such as Explore the Dunes.

What time does the park open?

NPS lists the park and preserve as open all day and night all year. NPS says entrance fees are collected only while the entrance station is open in spring, summer and fall, or the visitor center is open in winter.

All parks › Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Private vehicle entrance: $25^[1]
Busiest month (2025): June^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 432,498^[3]
Campgrounds: 3^[4]

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is a unit of the National Park System in Colorado^[5]. NPS lists a $25 private vehicle entrance fee, and the park and preserve are listed as open all year, day and night^[1]^[6].

Entrance fees and passes

Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.

Fee or pass	Price
Private Vehicle^[1]	$25
Non-commercial Groups^[7]	$15
Motorcycle^[8]	$20
Per Person^[9]	$15
Annual Entrance - Park^[10]	$45

The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here^[11].

America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.

Pass	Who can get it	Price
Resident Annual Pass^[12]	US citizens and residents	$80
Non-Resident Annual Pass^[12]	Non-US residents	$250
Senior Annual Pass^[12]	US citizens and residents 62+ years old	$20
Senior Lifetime Pass^[12]	US citizens and residents 62+ years old	$80
Military Annual Pass^[12]	Current US military and dependents	Free
Military Lifetime Pass^[12]	Gold Star Family members and veterans	Free
Access Pass^[12]	US citizens and residents with permanent disability	Free
4th Grade Pass^[12]	US 4th graders	Free
Volunteer Pass^[12]	Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours	Free

When to visit and hours

NPS lists the park and preserve as open around the clock all year^[6]. In 2025 the busiest month was June and the quietest was January^[2]. June had 75,009 recorded visits and July had 73,599 in 2025^[2]. NPS says temperatures are relatively cool through the year, and sand surface temperatures in mid-day summer can reach 160 degrees F^[13]. NPS suggests exploring the dunes in the morning or evening during summer^[13]. NPS says wind may pick up in spring and with storm fronts, and winter nights are frigid^[13].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, June, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	5,475
February	7,958
March	27,128
April	22,172
May	61,955
June	75,009
July	73,599
August	61,477
September	41,565
October	33,912
November	12,679
December	9,569

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2021^[3]	602,613
2022^[3]	493,428
2023^[3]	512,219
2024^[3]	437,661
2025^[3]	432,498

Camping

NPS and Recreation.gov list 3 campgrounds here^[4]. Pinon Flats Campground has 90 sites, the backcountry dunes and forest campsites have 27, and the Medano Pass Primitive Road campsites have 21^[4]. Nightly individual-site fees listed by NPS range from $6 to $20^[4]. Check Recreation.gov or the park page for current booking details.

Pinon Flats Campground, 90 sites^[4]
Backpacking Campsites in the Dunes or Forest, 27 sites
Medano Pass Primitive Road Campsites, 21 sites

Pets and dogs

The national NPS pet rule says pets must be crated, caged or on a leash of six feet or less wherever they are allowed^[14]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings or on designated swimming beaches, with service animals excepted^[14]. Each park can close more areas to pets, so confirm local rules with the park^[14]. NPS lists pets as permitted on several of its suggested activities, including Medano Creek and the dunes^[15].

Before you go

The Private Vehicle entrance fee is $25 and accepts cash, check or credit card, according to NPS^[1].
NPS notes that passes may also be bought in advance on recreation.gov^[1].
The Annual Entrance pass for this park is listed at $45^[10].
The park accepts the America the Beautiful pass, and NPS lists the Resident Annual Pass at $80^[11]^[12].
Fees and hours change, so check the official NPS park page before your trip.

Questions people ask

How much is the entrance fee at Great Sand Dunes?: NPS lists $25 for a Private Vehicle and $20 for a Motorcycle^[1]^[8]. Walk-in and bicycle visitors pay $15 per person^[9].
Is there an annual pass for Great Sand Dunes?: NPS lists an Annual Entrance pass for this park at $45^[10]. The park also accepts the America the Beautiful pass^[11].
What is the busiest month at Great Sand Dunes?: In 2025 the busiest month was June, with 75,009 recorded visits^[2]. January was the quietest, with 5,475^[2].
Are dogs allowed at Great Sand Dunes?: NPS rules say pets must be kept in a crate or cage or on a leash of six feet or less where pets are allowed^[14]. NPS lists pets as permitted on activities such as Explore the Dunes^[15].
What time does the park open?: NPS lists the park and preserve as open all day and night all year^[6]. NPS says entrance fees are collected only while the entrance station is open in spring, summer and fall, or the visitor center is open in winter^[1].

Facts and sources

Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $25. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 602,613, 2022: 493,428, 2023: 512,219, 2024: 437,661, 2025: 432,498. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Campgrounds in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (list on this page). National Park Service
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Park & Preserve) in Colorado. National Park Service
Operating hours, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve: The park and preserve are open 24/7 all year National Park Service
Entrance fee, Non-commercial Groups: $15. National Park Service
Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $20. National Park Service
Entrance fee, Per Person: $15. National Park Service
Annual Entrance - Park: $45. National Park Service
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
NPS weather and seasons overview for Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
NPS lists 8 things to do at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: Splash in Medano Creek, Explore the Dunes, Sandboarding and Sand Sledding, Experience the Night, Hike Montville Nature Trail or Mosca Pass Trail, Hike Medano Lake and Mount Herard, Hike... National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.