If you have ever seen it, you know it can’t be missed! No, we aren’t talking about a Nuggets game or Hanging Lake (though all of the above should be experienced, too), but rather Colorado’s wonderous Medano Creek, which is currently flowing but only for a very limited time:
According to the National Park Service, Medano Creek is officially flowing for the season!
Wing-Chi Poon/Wikimedia Commons
Located inside the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Medano Creek is a seasonal phenomenon that brings in visitors from near and far who want to witness these delicate waters as they glide over the soft sand.
Flickr/Christian Collins
What makes this creek stand out from all of the others? It is due to its limited viewing time, as the stream of water begins flowing in the early spring (usually late March to early April), peaks in June, and then disappears for another year around August.
Flickr/Roy Luck
In addition to its uniqueness in appearance and its limited viewing time, Medano Creek is also a marvel in that it is controlled entirely by the snowfall and runoff from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which impacts how much (or how little) the stream will flow each year.
Flickr/Russ
As per the Medano Creek page on the National Park Service’s website, “Medano Creek is flowing gently at the Dunes Parking Area,” adding that its size can vary from 10 to 20 feet wide and 1/2 inch to 2 inches deep.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Please note: Since it is still early in the season, the creek may freeze overnight or during colder days.
Flickr/Tony Fernandez
Do you have a favorite restaurant, attraction, or event that you would like to see featured on Only in Colorado? Nominate it here! To learn even more about the Great Sand Dunes, check out You’ll Want To Add This Marvelous National Park To Your Colorado Bucket List.
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Address: Medano Creek, Colorado, USA
According to the National Park Service, Medano Creek is officially flowing for the season!
Wing-Chi Poon/Wikimedia Commons
Located inside the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Medano Creek is a seasonal phenomenon that brings in visitors from near and far who want to witness these delicate waters as they glide over the soft sand.
Flickr/Christian Collins
What makes this creek stand out from all of the others? It is due to its limited viewing time, as the stream of water begins flowing in the early spring (usually late March to early April), peaks in June, and then disappears for another year around August.
Flickr/Roy Luck
In addition to its uniqueness in appearance and its limited viewing time, Medano Creek is also a marvel in that it is controlled entirely by the snowfall and runoff from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which impacts how much (or how little) the stream will flow each year.
Flickr/Russ
As per the Medano Creek page on the National Park Service’s website, “Medano Creek is flowing gently at the Dunes Parking Area,” adding that its size can vary from 10 to 20 feet wide and 1/2 inch to 2 inches deep.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Please note: Since it is still early in the season, the creek may freeze overnight or during colder days.
Flickr/Tony Fernandez
Do you have a favorite restaurant, attraction, or event that you would like to see featured on Only in Colorado? Nominate it here! To learn even more about the Great Sand Dunes, check out You’ll Want To Add This Marvelous National Park To Your Colorado Bucket List.
Wing-Chi Poon/Wikimedia Commons
Flickr/Christian Collins
Flickr/Roy Luck
Flickr/Russ
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Flickr/Tony Fernandez
