The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve PDF Author: Charlie Winger
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 9780972441315
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
* Guidebook to hiking, biking, or climbing in the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains. * Details unlimited recreational opportunities for the park's 225,000 annual visitors * 210 color photographs and 40 color maps * Color-coded tabs and activity symbols for quick reference Nowhere else in North America do alpine tundra, tall forests of evergreen and aspen, and massive desert dunes meet so dramatically as in our nation's newest crown jewel. This book is the essential guide to one of the nation's newest national parks. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve earned this status in 2003, and became an instant treasure both for Coloradans and vacationers everywhere.

The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve PDF Author: Charlie Winger
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 9780972441315
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Get Book

Book Description
* Guidebook to hiking, biking, or climbing in the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains. * Details unlimited recreational opportunities for the park's 225,000 annual visitors * 210 color photographs and 40 color maps * Color-coded tabs and activity symbols for quick reference Nowhere else in North America do alpine tundra, tall forests of evergreen and aspen, and massive desert dunes meet so dramatically as in our nation's newest crown jewel. This book is the essential guide to one of the nation's newest national parks. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve earned this status in 2003, and became an instant treasure both for Coloradans and vacationers everywhere.

Sea of Sand

Sea of Sand PDF Author: Michael M. Geary
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806154810
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
Sculpted into graceful contours by countless centuries of wind and water, the Great Sand Dunes sprawl along the eastern fringes of the vast San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado. Covering an area of nearly thirty square miles, they are the tallest aeolian, or wind-produced, dunes in North America, towering 750 feet above the valley floor. With the addition of the enormous Baca Ranch and other adjacent lands, the dunes—originally designated as a National Monument in 1932—attained official National Park status in 2004. In Sea of Sand, Michael M. Geary guides readers on a historical journey through this unique ecosystem, which includes an array of natural and cultural wonders, from the main dunefield and verdant wetlands to the summits of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Described by explorer Zebulon Pike as “a sea in a storm” and by frontier photographer William Henry Jackson as “a curious and very singular phase of nature’s freak,” the Great Sand Dunes are a nexus of more than 10,000 years of human history, from Paleolithic big-game hunters to nomadic Native Americans, from Spanish conquistadores and transcontinental explorers to hard-rock miners and modern-day tourists in motor homes. Like these successive waves of visitors, Sea of Sand follows the water, analyzing its critical role in the settlement and development of the region. Geary also describes the profound impact that waves of human use and settlement have had on the land—which ultimately inspired the early grassroots efforts by San Luis Valley citizens to protect the dunes from further exploitation. He examines as well the more recent legislative effort led by an unprecedented coalition of local, state, and federal agencies and organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service, to secure the Great Sand Dunes’ national park designation. Amply illustrated, Sea of Sand is the definitive history of the natural, cultural, and political forces that helped shape this incomparable landscape.

The San Luis Valley

The San Luis Valley PDF Author:
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
ISBN: 9780816524242
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
It is a high valley edged by serrated peaks, a remote expanse the size of Connecticut lying, as if forgotten, between two mountain ranges. Here, North AmericaÕs tallest sand dunes blow against glacier-gouged summits, the Rio Grande begins its long journey from snowflake to saltwater, and vast reaches of desert scrub hide verdant pocket wetlands. ColoradoÕs San Luis Valley is not a place for the timid. Sizzling hot in summer, frigid cold in winter, this huge landscape is humbling in its openness, a place defined by the rhythms of natureÑand by the thrust and parry of male courting female in the ritual dance of sandhill cranes. These majestic birds arrive by the thousands twice a year to feed, rest, and socialize in the valleyÕs wetlandsÑinvisible except from the airÑand their cries temper the constant wind. Susan Tweit lives in the high desert of southern Colorado not far from the valleyÕs dunes and wetlands. With the precision of a scientist and the passion of a poet, she guides readers through this land of sand dunes and sandhill cranes, describing its natural features and tracing its human history from buffalo hunters and conquistadors to Hispanic farming communities and UFO observatories. And in stunning images, photographer Glenn Oakley brings his intimate feel for light and landscape to portraying not only the subtle beauty of this high-desert sanctuary but also the grandeur of the cranes in flight. As an intimate look at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the San Luis Valley, this book reveals a desert place as seductive and sobering as existence itself.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park PDF Author: Mike Butler
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439643113
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
Southern Colorado’s unique Great Sand Dunes rise to a height of 750 feet above the San Luis Valley floor and are the nation’s highest dunes not adjacent to an ocean or lake. The sweeping dunes were protected as a national monument in 1932 and as a national park in 2000. From prehistoric hunter-gatherers to the historic Ute Indian tribe, inhabitants have long used the resources of the land around the dunes. Zebulon Pike was the first American explorer to witness the dunes in 1807, followed by a long procession of other explorers, ranchers, and miners. Today, visitors from around the world come to climb up and slide down the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park PDF Author: Mike Butler
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 0738596949
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
Southern Colorado's unique Great Sand Dunes rise to a height of 750 feet above the San Luis Valley floor and are the nation's highest dunes not adjacent to an ocean or lake. The sweeping dunes were protected as a national monument in 1932 and as a national park in 2000. From prehistoric hunter-gatherers to the historic Ute Indian tribe, inhabitants have long used the resources of the land around the dunes. Zebulon Pike was the first American explorer to witness the dunes in 1807, followed by a long procession of other explorers, ranchers, and miners. Today, visitors from around the world come to climb up and slide down the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

A Year in the National Parks

A Year in the National Parks PDF Author: Stefanie Payne
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692926789
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
On January 1 of 2016, Stefanie Payne, a creative professional working at NASA Headquarters, and Jonathan Irish, a photographer with National Geographic, left their lives in Washington, D.C. and hit the open road on an expedition to explore and document all 59 of America's national parks during the centennial celebration of the U.S. National Park Service - 59 parks in 52 weeks - the Greatest American Road Trip. Captured in more than 300,000 digital photographs, written stories, and videos shared by the national and international media, their project resulted in an incredible view of America's National Park System seen in its 100th year. 'A Year in the National Parks, The Greatest American Road Trip' is a gorgeous visual journey through our cherished public lands, detailing a rich tapestry of what makes each park special, as seen along an epic journey to visit them all within one special celebratory year.

Fodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West

Fodor's The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West PDF Author: Fodor's Travel Guides
Publisher: Fodor's Travel
ISBN: 1640974296
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 1316

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Book Description
Whether you want to hike through jaw-dropping landscapes of Yosemite, see rare wildlife and natural wonders in Yellowstone, or go river-rafting in the Grand Canyon, the local Fodor’s travel experts in the National Parks of the West are here to help! Fodor’s National Parks of the West is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s National Parks of the West travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 70 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, activities, side-trips, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Ultimate Experiences,” “Best Campgrounds,” “Best Lodges,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, art, architecture, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Exploring the Colorado River,” “What to Watch and Read Before You Visit,” and “Yellowstone’s Geothermal Wonders” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Badlands, Sequoia, Rocky Mountains, Glacier, Zion, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Olympic, and more national parks Planning on visiting Arizona, Colorado, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Sequoia/Kings Canyon, or even the Great Smoky Mountains? Check out Fodor’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon, Fodor's Colorado, Compass Yellowstone National Park, Compass Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks. *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!

Fodor's the Complete Guide to The National Parks of the West

Fodor's the Complete Guide to The National Parks of the West PDF Author: Fodor's
Publisher: Fodors Travel Publications
ISBN: 1400008263
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 946

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Book Description
A guide to national parks in the West provides information on attractions, accommodations, restaurants, when to go, plants and animals, and activities for each park.

Valley of the Dunes

Valley of the Dunes PDF Author: Audrey Delella Benedict
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780984525706
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Colorado's most spectacular region features Great Sand Dunes National Park in the San Luis Valley. Award-winning photographers Bob Rozinski and Wendy Shattil present 120 images with Audrey DeLella Benedict's well-written text.

Sand Dunes of the Great Lakes

Sand Dunes of the Great Lakes PDF Author: Edna A. Elfont
Publisher: Gale Cengage
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 154

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Book Description
This fascinating combination of photographers and poetry explores Michigan's spectacular sand dunes.