Best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
The short answer
Best months to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: May and August–September. Daily highs run about 65–80°F, with about 65% of June's visitors.
Hardest months: November–February, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve month by month
Park-wide averages. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 30° / 10°F | 0 in | 4.7 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 35° / 13°F | 0.1 in | 4.8 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 46° / 23°F | 0.3 in | 5.4 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Fair | 56° / 30°F | 0.5 in | 4.0 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Best | 65° / 39°F | 1.1 in | 2.1 in | Busy | – |
| June | Good | 78° / 51°F | 0.6 in | – | Peak | – |
| July | Good | 81° / 56°F | 1.1 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 79° / 54°F | 0.8 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Best | 73° / 48°F | 0.6 in | 0.8 in | Moderate | – |
| October | Good | 59° / 36°F | 0.5 in | 1.8 in | Moderate | – |
| November | Poor | 44° / 24°F | 0.2 in | 2.3 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 33° / 14°F | 0.1 in | 4.3 in | Quiet | – |
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a mixed time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 46–65°F and lows 23–39°F. Expect about 0.6 in of rain a month and 3.8 in of snow, with up to 3 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 18–74% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 78–81°F and lows 51–56°F. Expect about 0.8 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 71–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a mixed time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 44–73°F and lows 24–48°F. Expect about 0.4 in of rain a month and 1.6 in of snow, with up to 1 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 13–53% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 30–35°F and lows 10–14°F. Expect about 0.0 in of rain a month and 4.6 in of snow, with up to 5 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 5–8% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails and camping, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Temperatures are relatively cool all year at the park elevation 8000 ft. Conditions are most often calm, but winds can arise, especially in spring and during storm fronts. Daytime temperatures feel warmer here year round due to intense high-altitude sunlight, and mid-day summer sand surface temps can be 160 degrees F! Plan to explore the dunes morning or evening during summer. Nights are cool in summer, and frigid in winter. Visit https://nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/weather.htm for details
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 1 location. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
