Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

You need an entrance pass to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and you can choose a Standard Pass, an Annual Pass, or an America the Beautiful Pass. The Standard Pass is $15 to $25, the Great Sand Dunes Annual Pass is $45, and America the Beautiful Passes range from free to $80 depending on eligibility. The park is cashless, so plan to pay by credit card, debit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.

You can purchase your pass ahead of time here.

If you already have an America the Beautiful pass, that’s the only entrance pass you need. Seniors, current US military and dependents, veterans, and Gold Star Family members, visitors with a permanent disability, and families with a 4th grader may qualify for free or discounted America the Beautiful passes. If you do not qualify for those, pick a pass based on your plans. If you’re visiting the park once, choose the Standard Pass. If you’ll visit the park multiple times in the next year, the Annual Pass makes sense. If you’re visiting more than one national park or federal recreation site, go with America the Beautiful.

Standard Entrance Pass fees are charged only when the Entrance Station is open, and you can also purchase them in advance through recreation.gov. If you enter in a private vehicle, the fee is $25, and it covers you and your passengers; they won’t need separate passes. Motorcycles are $20, and if you arrive on foot or by bicycle and are at least 16 years old, the fee is $15 per person. Kids who are under 16 do not need an entrance pass. Costs for vehicles with more than 15 passengers are as follows; a non-commercial group of 16 or more is $15, a commercial sedan with 1 to 6 seats is $25, a commercial van with 7 to 15 seats is $40, a commercial mini-bus with 16 to 25 seats is $40, and a commercial motor coach with 26 or more seats is $100.

If you’ll be back more than once in a year, consider the Great Sand Dunes Annual Pass. It admits the pass holder or holders and all family members in the vehicle for one year from the date of purchase. You can buy it at the Entrance Station with credit or debit only. Interagency national passes are also available at the Entrance Station.

To buy an annual pass, click here.

America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees and standard amenity day-use fees at lands managed by the National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army of Corps of Engineers. Depending on the fee type at a site, they cover one private vehicle fee or four per person fees. Options include an $80 Annual Pass for everyone, a $20 Senior Annual Pass for US citizens and permanent residents 62 or older, and an $80 Senior Lifetime Pass for the same group. Current US military and dependents can get a free Military Annual Pass, and Gold Star Family members and veterans can get a free Military Lifetime Pass. US citizens and permanent residents with a permanent disability can get a free Access Pass. US 4th graders can get a free 4th Grade Pass. Volunteers with 250 service hours can receive a free Volunteer Pass. These passes are non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. You must show a valid photo ID with each pass.

You can pick up America the Beautiful passes in person at more than 1,000 federal recreation sites. You can also order online from the USGS Online Store and receive a physical pass by mail. Online orders are for physical passes only, may take up to three weeks to process and deliver, and order receipts cannot be used in place of the pass. Ordering at least three weeks before your visit is recommended, or you can pick up a pass in person instead.

There are no advance reservations, timed entries, or visitor limits at Great Sand Dunes, and buying your entrance pass in advance is optional. Fees are collected when you drive into the park. Rangers greet you at the Entrance Station located one mile south of the visitor center. You can learn about current projects funded by Your Fee Dollars at Work.

On national fee-free days in 2025, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Other fees may apply. The dates are:

• Thursday, January 9
• Monday, January 20
• Saturday, April 19
• Thursday, June 19
• Monday, August 4
• Saturday, September 27
• TuesdayNovember 11

If you live in Colorado, note that the Keep Colorado Wild Pass connected with your Colorado vehicle registration is valid only for Colorado State Parks and does not grant admission to Great Sand Dunes National Park.

School groups and educational organizations whose primary purpose for visiting is education may qualify for an Educational Entrance Fee Waiver. This waiver applies to park entrance fees. Great Sand Dunes does not charge for programs. You can learn more about free education programs on the park’s Education pages.