The federally designated Wilderness Areas within the Park and Preserve are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, established in 1964 with the passage of the Wilderness Act. Today, over 100 million acres across the country are protected as Wilderness. The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness areas as, "...in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, [wilderness] is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man." The Wilderness Act further describes wilderness as a place "retaining its primeval character and influence" where there are "outstanding opportunities for solitude". At Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, visitors have the opportunity to visit unique and diverse ecosystems protected as designated wilderness.

In summer, keep this hike as an option for afternoon as an escape from the heat of the dunes. Walk along a shady forested trail named for a late 1800s settlement, comprising 20 houses in its heydey. Rest near the trail's highpoint, where you will find outstanding views of Mt. Herard, the dunes and the valley.

Credits and Sources:

“Great Sand Dunes: Hiking and Backpacking,” National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/hiking.htm, Accessed on June 29, 2015.

“Great Sand Dunes: Wilderness Values,” National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/grsa/learn/wilderness-values.htm, Accessed on June 28, 2015.