Great Sand Dunes now a National Park

Sep 18, 2004

The Great Sand Dunes have joined the A-List of the National Park system by dropping the Monument designation and becoming the newest National Park. The Interior Secretary had a ceremony for it September 13th, 2004. President Clinton had signed the bill in November of 2000 authorizing the designation.

The Great Sand Dunes now stand alongside Colorado’s other National Parks Mesa Verde (1906), Rocky Mountain (1915), and Black Canyon of the Gunnison (1999). Since 1980 only nine areas have received the National Park designation. Cuyahoga Valley NP in Ohio is the only other designee from 2000.

The National Park Service (and I’m including their excellent battlefield monuments) is one of America’s great accomplishments. I’ve been to many of the National Parks outside of Alaska and Hawaii and the Great Sand Dunes deserve their elite designation. I still remember the last time I was at the Great Sand Dunes when I finally climbed the big dune.