The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

by Diane Winger and Charlie Winger

* 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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 097244131X
• ISBN13: 9780972441315
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Colorado Mountain Club Press
• Length: 239 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Something for Everyone

This new guidebook covers ALL aspects of the Great Sand Dunes. There is something for everyone interested in this beautiful, unique ecosystem in Colorado: natural and cultural history, hiking and climbing and other recreational activities, and local events and attractions . . . this book has it all. Want to know about the eolian (wind) geology that formed the dunes? Want to know which picnic spots are the best? Want to know what rock pro you can leave at home when climbing The Prow route on Kit Carson Mountain? The Wingers seem to provide information and resources about everything! Their easy, conversational style draws you into the delights of the dunes and echoes the small-town friendliness of the surrounding area. And this is a guidebook that can travel with you - its quality binding and sturdy pages will hold up to frequent use, which is inevitable once you experience this special area of Colorado.

Wingers have a Winner!

Charlie & Diane have surprised the hiking public once again with their great new guide to the Sand Dunes. Soon to be declared a National Park, this full color book is set up in easy to understand color-coded sections, a first that I have seen. It is focused on a small area, so understandably goes into great detail, something many guidebooks can not do as they pretend to cover a huge aray of peaks, or trails, or entire state or regional hiking concepts. If you like getting every last bit of info on a cool place like Sand Dunes, well, this is your book. You will probably wake up with some grit in your teeth, but that's OK, sand is the name of the game here.

Evaluation of the Great Sand Dunes National Park guide book

The Essential Guide to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is absolutely the best I have ever seen. It is extremely well organized and very informative. The authors did an outstanding job of providing area history along with available facilities and activities. They also included detailed maps, safety considerations and overviews of the various ecosystems. The photography is inspirational throughout each section of the book. I found it to be very entertaining and easy to read. Sincerely,Bud Norlin

Essential guidebook for visiting the Great Sand Dunes

This book is a must read for anyone visiting this area. The diversity of activities which are covered in the Guide should make everyone want to vist this area. Whether you are a tourist from the "flatlands" or an experienced mountaineer, this book has something for everyone.The Winger's have done an outstanding job describing the sights and sounds of the Park. You can almost feel the breezes caress your body as you spend your night amongst the dunes watching for shooting stars!While the dunes are the main attraction, the surrounding fourteen thousand foot peaks have an alure all their own. Especially enjoyable was their description of the Zapata Falls area and what adventurous person could resist a trip to those Marble Caves? Spanish Gold, you say? The book contains many treasures of its own and will occupy a special place on my bookshelf for years to come. "Essential" is surely the correct word to describe this guidebook.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (GSDNP & P)

Having read and reviewed many a guidebook, I can say without hesitation that GSDNP & P is one of the best I've yet to come across. Indeed, its closest competition may come from the Wingers' HIGHPOINT ADVENTURES, a guide to climbing (or, in some cases, driving up) the summits of the fifty States.Charlie and Diane Winger must have enjoyed researching and writing this book--that's obvious as its so much fun to read. Covering vitually every conceivable aspect of the National Mounument (which is expected to become a National Park shortly)--natural and cultural history, park facilities, hiking, climbing, biking, fishing--there's never a dull moment, with maps, insets and photos galore.Although I haven't been to the Park personally, after reading the Winger's paean to the area, I'm planning to do so as soon as possible.