Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park
L
Reviewed Apr. 23, 2022

High Winds Here with lots of dust- Typical April?

Agree with another reviewer who complained about night lighting for the bathrooms--- don't sign up for a site opposite the bathroom or your site will be under the spotlights all night.

For example, in Loop # 1-- be careful about booking sites 6, 7, 15, 16 which face toward the bathrooms---Bathrooms are clean--- but don't allow for cleaning one's hands. This is another national park property that eschews hand dryers, paper towels, and soap. Bathrooms have flushing toilets. No showers. Nightime illumination is not a problem on the back side of the bathrooms...i.e sites 25, 27, 33 remain dark.

Services and side trips are very limited in this park--- not much to do except that there is a very nice shaded picnic area near the dunes parking lot. The rangers seem to be not engaged. Instead, they placed a bright red neon sign near the entrance to the campground-- it seemed to be on and visible all night--- a jarring & annoying interruption to the fine night sky.

The campsites here are very uneven in quality and in allocated space. That said, I have tried to make some notes about loop # 1 which has the best views:

Best views are on the outside edge of loop # 1 from site #39 to site # 18. I had site 23 which had good views as well as shade and is much larger than site # 24 which is cramped. Site # 31 was very small. Site # 19 also offered excellent views and had lots of space but fewer trees. Site # 32 was very open, fine views. 

Note that sites 23 & 24 each have 3 stone steps to access the site from parking….very steep steps. Sites # 22 & 21 require a scramble down hill with plenty of rock obstacles in the way from parking. They should be designated as walk-in sites. Sites # 34 & 39 are very good sites. Huge trees are a nice asset for sites 25, 26, 27, 28. Campsite 39 has a good layout and nice trees but one side snugs directly up to site #40.

Tent pads have been shown no maintenance.

Better arrive with a full tank of gas….

One night is plenty here….

Site23
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022
  • Review photo of Pinon Flats Campground — Great Sand Dunes National Park by LoneCamper C., April 23, 2022