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San Carlos Ranger District

Quick Facts

Medano Pass Road Four-Wheel Drive Road

Difficulty:	Difficult High-clearance 4 WD
Elevation:	8,200 Feet (2556.1 Meters) Great Sand Dunes
High Point:	10,000 Feet (3117.2 Meters) Medano Pass
Recommended Season:	Late Summer to Fall
Road Number:	559
Usage:	Heavy

General Description

The eastern approach to Medano Pass is heavily used. About 6 miles from Highway 69 is the National Forest boundary. Another short distance brings the traveler to the junction of Forest Roads 559 and 412. There is a huge meadow here with dispersed camping and a parking area. This is a popular place for hunters and for those with horses.

All two-wheel drive vehicles must park here. From this point on the road is rocky and hilly and should only be used by hikers and high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles. Medano Pass is just over a mile from the meadow. The most popular activity for licensed vehicles is to continue down the other side, through the Great Sand Dunes and out to Highway 160.

Directions from Walsenburg: Take State Road 69 west 36 miles, through Gardner to County Road 559. Turn west and follow the road approximately 8.5 miles to the summit of Medano Pass. The last 2.5 miles require a high-clearance four-wheel drive.

Directions from Highway 69: Travel northwest from Gardner on Highway 69 until you see County Road 559 on your left. Turn here; for about 6 miles you will be traveling through private property. Shortly after entering the National Forest boundary you will arrive at a parking area where Forest Road 412 and 559 meet. All two-wheel drive vehicles must stop here. High-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles may continue to Medano Pass. Licensed vehicles may drive down to the Great Sand Dunes.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: Memorial Day Weekend through Mid-October .

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Difficulty: Easy Number of People Encountered: 50+ ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Over Memorial Day Weekend 2000 there were traffic jams both directions with many, many vehicles. There were also a few folks who seemed to think they needed to prove their ability to drive in mud, so they were off in the wet bogs and up and down the creek at a high rate of speed. Not much fun. The dry weather had the sand on the west end soft and most drivers in the dunes were going way too fast to be safe. At least the Forest Service has knocked out the beaver dam at creek crossing number 8. The road just over the summit west of Medano Lake trailhead has also been carved up by fools insisting on fording the creek instead of going uphill around the tree. Some people's kids... Difficulty: Moderate Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Nice off-roading in a sandy and foregiving environment. Several stream crossings add interest to the trip.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Backpacking	Eight backcountry sites in the Monument; free permit from Visitor Center required.	Yes
	RV Camping	Great Sand Dunes National Monument	No
	Tent Camping	Great Sand Dunes National Monument	Yes
	Cold Water Fishing	Medano Creek	Yes
	Four-Wheel Driving	Medano Pass Road Four-Wheel Drive Road	Yes
	Hiking & Walking	Medano Lake Trail	Yes
	Horseback Riding	Popular area	Yes
	Hunting	In season, not in the Great Sand Dunes National Monument	Yes
	Mountain Biking	Only on the road	Yes
	ATV Riding	Licensed vehicles only	Yes
	Motorcycle Riding	Licensed vehicles only	Yes
	Picnicking	Great Sand Dunes National Monument	Yes
	Downhill Skiing	Trying skiing the dunes, even in summer
	Viewing Scenery	Great Sand Dunes National Monument	Yes

Related Activities

Amphitheater and Parking Area - The amphitheater is on the right, just before Piñon Flats Campground. Nightly campfire programs are offered from Memorial Day to Labor Day. A wheelchair platform is located in the center of the seating area.

Little Medano Creek Trail - Meander through a variety of terrain when you head north from the campground. Travel through escape dunes until the trail crosses Medano Creek. The trail ends at an overlook just beyond Little Medano Creek.

Medano Lake Trail - Medano Lake Trail begins just below Medano Pass. Starting in stand of spruce-fir, the trail rises moderately as it follows Medano Creek to Medano Lake. Medano Creek and Medano Lake offer the visitor good fishing possibilities.

Medano Pass Primitive Road - The Medano Pass Primitive Road is a four-wheel drive road that begins in the park and goes north to Medano Pass and the Rio Grande National Forest.