When the Rio Grande changed course, the river bed was prime feed for the east-blowing wind that piled up the sand in stacks against the San Juan Mountains. The highest point in the dunes is about 750 feet high, the largest in North America. The dunes themselves lie over an area of about 50 sq. It is the strangest spectacle to see a waterless beach in the heart of a high desert. The shifting sand, the mountains, and the underground stream that prevents the sand from getting blown away further, provide a surreal landscape for sandboarders, backpackers, and gaping tourists alike.
Visitors can camp either in the designated camping spots or deep in the dunes themselves.
Camping in the dunes on a full moon night is a wonderful experience. Of course, every pore in your body will be clogged with the fine dust after you roll down one of those sand dunes. Don't forget to bring your camera because rumour has it that the sand dunes are very photogenic, especially to black and white pictures. Cooking in the sand dunes can be a lot of fun, especially if you don't mind some sand with your omelettes. Make that a lot of sand with your omelettes.