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Dunes

Looking to explore more of the national park and really see what makes Indiana Dunes so special? If so, here is the adventure for you. The 1966 Hiking Challenge is comprised of 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of trail in the park, celebrating the park’s founding in 1966. We will offer 19 weekly ranger led hikes every Saturday at 8:00 am starting late April through August. The hikes will range in leng…

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About Dunes

  • 1966 Hiking Challenge Banner

    1966 Hiking Challenge · Indiana Dunes National Park

    Looking to explore more of the national park and really see what makes Indiana Dunes so special? If so, here is the adventure for you. The 1966 Hiking Challenge is comprised of 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of trail in the park, celebrating the park’s founding in 1966. We will offer 19 weekly ranger led hikes every Saturday at 8:00 am starting late April through August. The hikes will range in length from 1 to 7 miles and take place in every area of the national park. Those that complete the series will earn a free…

    View on NPS.gov
  • A park volunteer talks with a family about seashells.

    Ranger-led Programs at Padre Island · Padre Island National Seashore

    Attending a ranger-led program in the park is a great way to discover new things and learn more about Padre Island National Seashore. The park offers a variety of ranger-led programs such as deck talks and beach walks. All programs are offered free of charge. However, there is a fee to enter the park. Check the calendar or the NPS App for daily activities and at the visitor center for special pop-up programs being offered. Children in attendance at programs must be accompanied by an adult participant during the ent…

    View on NPS.gov
  • A backpack with a variety of educational tools.

    Check-out a Junior Ranger Discovery Pack · Padre Island National Seashore

    Calling all Junior Rangers! We encourage families and groups visiting with children to check out a free Junior Ranger Discovery Pack from the Malaquite Visitor Center. Each pack contains an variety of educational field guides, equipment, and supplies for those who are eager to learn about Padre Island while exploring the park. Each pack includes all of the following: Activity Guide Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethic Reference Cards (English and Spanish) Clipboard, Pencil, and Observation Sheets Field Guides Birds Butterf…

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  • Hiker walking along a sand dune ridge.

    Visit the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes · Kobuk Valley National Park

    Arctic Sand Dunes The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are unlike any dune complex in North America. Where else can one discover tracks from grizzly bears, caribou, and wolves converging on such otherworldly terrain? A place where Boreal Forest, tundra, and brush collide with glacially pulverized sand. Most people fly to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes so make sure when planning your itinerary there is some cushion for weather. One never knows what the weather will be like in northwest Alaska so be ready for flight delays. When p…

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  • A green pack canoe is tied to the bank of the broad Kobuk River.

    Float the Kobuk River · Kobuk Valley National Park

    Calm Kobuk The Kobuk River is a source of life to many in Northwest Alaska. It hosts caribou migrations, the return of salmon from the Pacific Ocean, and a waterway of transporation for the people of Northwest Alaska. Although the segment of the river which flows through Kobuk Valley National Park is not designated as wild or scenic, those who float it still find recreation, rest, and remoteness like no other with areas of bushwhacking access to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and unbound wilderness. The Kobuk River is…

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Featured parks for dunes

Programs & experiences

1966 Hiking Challenge

Indiana Dunes National Park

Looking to explore more of the national park and really see what makes Indiana Dunes so special? If so, here is the adventure for you. The 1966 Hiking Challenge is comprised of 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of trail in the park, celebrating the park’s founding in 1966. We will offer 19 weekly ranger led hikes every Satu…

View

Ranger-led Programs at Padre Island

Padre Island National Seashore

Attending a ranger-led program in the park is a great way to discover new things and learn more about Padre Island National Seashore. The park offers a variety of ranger-led programs such as deck talks and beach walks. All programs are offered free of charge. However, there is a fee to enter the park. Check the calenda…

View

Check-out a Junior Ranger Discovery Pack

Padre Island National Seashore

Calling all Junior Rangers! We encourage families and groups visiting with children to check out a free Junior Ranger Discovery Pack from the Malaquite Visitor Center. Each pack contains an variety of educational field guides, equipment, and supplies for those who are eager to learn about Padre Island while exploring t…

View

Visit the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley National Park

Arctic Sand Dunes The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are unlike any dune complex in North America. Where else can one discover tracks from grizzly bears, caribou, and wolves converging on such otherworldly terrain? A place where Boreal Forest, tundra, and brush collide with glacially pulverized sand. Most people fly to the Gre…

View

Float the Kobuk River

Kobuk Valley National Park

Calm Kobuk The Kobuk River is a source of life to many in Northwest Alaska. It hosts caribou migrations, the return of salmon from the Pacific Ocean, and a waterway of transporation for the people of Northwest Alaska. Although the segment of the river which flows through Kobuk Valley National Park is not designated as…

View

Head of the Meadow Bike Trail

Cape Cod National Seashore

There's no better way to start off a day before you go to the beach, or finish off a day of learning at the Visitor Center than to head out for a leisurely bike ride. The Head of the Meadow Bike Trail is one of three bike trails at Cape Cod National Seashore. This 2-mile bike trail connects the dirt parking lot at High…

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All parks (25)

Assateague Island National Seashore
National Seashore

Assateague Island National Seashore

MD,VA

Want to live on the edge? Visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves. Life on Assateague Island has adapted to an existence on the move. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent.

Cape Cod National Seashore
National Seashore

Cape Cod National Seashore

MA

The great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s is protected within the national seashore. Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod's past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today's visitors.

Capitol Reef National Park
National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

UT

Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles.

Castle Mountains National Monument
National Monument

Castle Mountains National Monument

CA

Castle Mountains represents some of the most unique elements of the Mojave Desert. Nestled between the Nevada state line and Mojave National Preserve, the nearly 21,000 acres of Castle Mountains boasts Joshua tree forests, unbroken natural landscapes, rare desert grasslands, and rich human history. This intriguing area provides serenity and solitude from nearby metropolitan areas.

Channel Islands National Park
National Park

Channel Islands National Park

CA

Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.

Death Valley National Park
National Park

Death Valley National Park

CA,NV

In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life thrives in Death Valley.

Fire Island National Seashore
National Seashore

Fire Island National Seashore

NY

Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special place for diverse plants, animals and people for centuries. Far from the pressure of nearby big-city life, dynamic barrier island beaches offer solitude, camaraderie, and spiritual renewal.

Fort Matanzas National Monument
National Monument

Fort Matanzas National Monument

FL

Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves the fortified coquina watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine. It also protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment containing dunes, marsh, maritime forest, and associated flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species.

Gateway National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area

NY,NJ

Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for millions of visitors every year. Gateway offers green spaces and beaches alongside historic structures and cultural landscapes. Every day, Gateway is open for you to explore, envision, and enjoy!

Golden Gate National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

CA

Experience a park so rich it supports 19 distinct ecosystems with over 2,000 plant and animal species. Go for a hike, enjoy a vista, have a picnic or learn about the centuries of overlapping history from California’s indigenous cultures, Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, US military expansion and the growth of San Francisco. All of this and more awaits you, so get out and find your park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
National Park & Preserve

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

CO

The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra. Stay on a moonless night to experience countless stars in this International Dark Sky Park! Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round. There are no timed entries or reservations to visit.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park
National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

TX

Come experience mountains and canyons, desert and dunes, night skies and spectacular vistas within a place unlike any other. Guadalupe Mountains National Park protects the world's most extensive Permian fossil reef, the four highest peaks in Texas, an environmentally diverse collection of flora and fauna, and the stories of lives shaped through conflict, cooperation and survival.

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