East Sand Dunes

Location: Jackson County
Size: 3534 acres
Designated: 1982 & 2002
Landowner: State Land Board, recreation managed by State Forest State Park
 
The East Sand Dunes are the only undisturbed example of an active cold-climate dune system in Colorado.  There are only two such dune formations in the state; the other is North Sand Dunes, eight miles to the north, which has been heavily used by off road vehicles.  Freeze-thaw and snow-melt processes form sedimentary structures that distunguish the East Sand Dunes from those found at Great Sand Dunes National Monument in southern Colorado.  These cold-climate dunes are the only major active area in a predominantly dormant dune field which covers approximately 25 square miles.  The relatively high precipitation, short summers and cold climate combine to greatly reduce sand movement, even on the active dunes.  Because the dunes are active, the area is in a fragile state of soil and vegetative development and is an example of an ecosystem which is extremely rare in Colorado.