At 4:30am I heard my alarm chime signaling it was time to get out of bed. I got up slowly and didn’t even bother to make coffee before pulling out of my campsite on a dirt road just twenty minutes from Great Sand Dunes National Park. Lucy looked at me with her signature side-eye as if to say, “it’s too early for this,” and went back to sleep buckled into her memory foam throne in the passenger seat. As we drove to the park, the scrubby pastures transformed into a barren desert landscape. There were mountains all around us barely visible in the deep purple predawn sky.

As we hit the trail crossing the chilly Medano Creek, first light started to seep over the jagged horizon in rosy shades of pink. I wore Chacos instead of my usual trail runners, afraid that sand would cause discomfort rubbing between my feet and my socks. Soon after we started climbing the sandy mounds, I realized that it would probably be easiest to go barefoot on the cool sand.

The sun rose up over the mountains just as we reached the first sandy bump on our way to the Great Dune. Lucy reared with excitement as her zoomies were reigned in on the six-foot leash required at all times in the park. She kicked up sand in all directions, making it fly everywhere with her joy. I worried about her getting the small particles in her eyes, so Lucy dawned her RexSpec goggles. We’ve only used these in the bitter cold, windy conditions of the White Mountains in the winter, but they were just as effective in the warm summer weather of southern Colorado.

As we continued to climb up the side of the dune, our feet sliding down with every step, we were engulfed in the sea of sand. The sudden shift from mountainous terrain to the sandy desert was magical. We could see the high peaks of Mt. Lindsey and Blanca Peak just a few miles away, yet it felt like we were in a completely different world. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.

Reaching the high point of a smaller dune beneath the Great Dune, Lucy and I took a few minutes to absorb the uniquely beautiful landscape we were lucky enough to be visiting. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is one of the most dog friendly parks, with miles of areas where dogs are welcome. Although there are no trails in the main dune area, dogs are allowed in the whole front country area including Medano Creek is welcome to dogs as long as they are on a six foot leash. This area may look small on a map, but it is actually a massive expanse of sandy land to explore.

As the sun rose up into the sky on this cloudless day, we felt its warmth around us reflecting from the soft sand. We were still a ways from the top of Great Dune, and were having a great time hanging out on a smaller dune that we had all to ourselves. There were only a few other people in the park at the time, likely because of our early entry, and it was incredibly serene. I felt so lucky to be able to experience such a quiet sunrise in this amazing landscape.

The sand started warming up quickly even with the still chilly 50-degree air surrounding us. We could have continued up to Great Dune like we had planned, but we were having such a great time taking in the sights lower down that I decided it would be better to explore lower rather than ascend. It was also our first day in Colorado and we were over 8,000 feet in elevation, so taking it easy and getting used to the thinner air was a good plan.

We ran down the sloped sand waves, sliding down similar to the terrain when I went volcano boarding in Nicaragua a few years ago. Our momentum carried us until we crashed into a heap at the first flat spot, Lucy and I tangled in a heap of limbs, leash, and sand. Lucy was so excited by all of the speed she ran around tangling us more and more until she collapsed on top of me for sandy kisses. Laughing, I untangled us and headed to Medano Creek for a much needed rinse after our yard sale at the bottom of the dunes.

By the time we reached the parking lot to rinse off it was full with many visitors eager to see the beautiful landscape. The sand had warmed considerably since sunrise, so Lucy and I were eager to leave before it got too hot and busy. The sand can reach over 150 degrees in the summer months, which is why we had chosen to go so early in the morning while it was still cool.

Before heading to San Juan National Forest to scope out a camping spot for the night, Lucy and I took a quick detour to Zapato Falls just minutes from the dunes. This short hike was gorgeous, rewarding us with a fast-flowing creek to play in after an easy hike. It was great to cool off before the heat of the summer descended on us. This was a great hike to tire Lucy out before another long day of driving.