Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is home to the tallest dunes in North America. The dunes act as the centerpiece for around 150,000 acres of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. On a moonless night the sky is lit up with countless stars and free from the interruptions of light pollution. With its stunning and otherworldly terrain, the park looks like it could be an alien planet.
Every April, NASA teams up with Colorado’s state colleges and universities to sponsor the Colorado Robotic Challenge in Great Sand Dunes, allowing students to learn about and test the technology used to explore the surface of Mars. Students create their own mini-rovers using physics, geometry, and engineering skills, putting them to the test on an obstacle course built in the sand. The event is held at the edge of the Dunes Parking Area outside the Great Sand Dunes Wilderness boundary as motorized equipment is not allowed in the wilderness area.
Any student at a Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC) affiliate school is welcome to participate. The COSGC is a NASA funded state-wide organization involving 21 colleges, universities and institutions around Colorado, providing Colorado students innovative courses, hands-on projects, NASA-inspired programs, and interactive outreach programs related to space. The Colorado Robotic Challenge is one of several design challenges hosted by COSGC, including a project to engineer wearable technology.
Great Sand Dunes National Park is open year round, though late May and early June are among the most popular times to visit. In July sand temperatures can reach up to 150°F, so visits should be planned for early mornings or evenings to avoid the extreme heat.
