What most families love about the Great Sand Dunes Lodge, located at the park’s entrance, is the stunning view from the patio of the dune fields with the mountains rising behind them. The lodge’s relatively remote location means there’s little if any light pollution, making for night skies filled with stars.

The lodge is open seasonally only, from mid-March or April through October, and amenities include a heated indoor pool, a microwave and ice machine for guests’ use in the reception area, and gas grills and picnic tables on the lodge’s large patio. All rooms have private patios and satellite television, and deluxe rooms also have a refrigerator with freezer, a microwave, a high-definition television, and private gas grills. Onsite activities include horseback riding and 4WD tours. Mountain bike trails start from the lodge, and guests can rent mountain bikes in nearby Alamosa. The trailhead for Zapata Falls is a five-mile drive away.

While there is no restaurant on site, you can walk to the nearby Great Sand Dunes Oasis, open May through September, a campground complex that has a casual eatery.