Great Sand Dunes National Park

Permit Information

NPS Special Use Permit required for all ceremonies regardless of size. $200 nonrefundable administrative fee per wedding application. Dunefield ceremonies are capped at 15 people; larger groups must use the Amphitheater. Only two weddings per day are booked at any designated location. Applications open January 1 of the desired year and close 7 days before the event. Park staff may supervise and bill the permittee for associated costs. Phone 719 378 6321 for permits or 719 378 6395 for general i…

Planning Your Day at Great Sand Dunes National Park

One-Spot Day

Great Sand Dunes is compact, the main dune field sits right against the Sangre de Cristo foothills and you can see the whole park from the Dunes Parking Lot. For a single day elopement, you pick between the dunefield (climb in, ceremony at sunrise or sunset on a ridge) or the base at Medano Creek (easy access, water plus sand plus peaks). Most couples do both, ceremony at Medano Creek or the amphitheater, then portraits on the dunes at last light. The Amphitheater near the visitor center is the larger group option. Far higher tier sites like Zapata Falls, Sand Ramp Trail, or the Alpine Lakes area require the coordinator's site specific approval. 4 hours driving from Denver, 3.5 from Albuquerque, Alamosa is the closest town with lodging.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

Every ceremony requires a $200 Special Use Permit regardless of group size. Dunefield ceremonies are capped at 15 people, larger groups must use the Amphitheater near the visitor center. Only two weddings per day are booked at any designated location, so weekends in May, June, September, and October fill early. Applications open January 1 of the desired year and close 7 days before the event. Park staff may supervise ceremonies and bill the permittee for associated costs, factor this into your budget. Phone 719 378 6321 for permits. The Sand Ramp Trail, Zapata Falls (USFS land, different permit), and Alpine Lakes require separate coordination, ask before committing to a non standard site.

A Note on Light

Sunrise and sunset are the only realistic ceremony windows on the dunes. Sand temperatures reach 150 F in summer midday, no shade, you will not stand on the sand between 10am and 5pm in June through August. Sunrise light rakes across the dune ridges from the east creating long graphic shadows and is the signature shot, sunset does the reverse from the west. Lightning is a genuine danger, the dunes are the highest point for miles and afternoon thunderstorms are frequent in summer, be off the dune field by early afternoon. Wind erases footprints overnight, so dawn gives you clean lines on the dune ridges. September and October have the cleanest light, the longest shadows at low sun angle, and the coolest sand. Winter (November through March) the dunes are often dusted or fully covered in snow which creates a radically different aesthetic, permittable but wind chill drops below 0 F at dawn.

Ceremony Spots at Great Sand Dunes National Park

• High Dune — Sunrise or sunset ceremony on the tallest accessible dune with the Sangre de Cristos as a backdrop
• Medano Creek at Dune Base — Easy access ceremony at the base of the dunes where a seasonal creek meets the sand