Medano Creek - Sand in Our Hair

Medano Creek at Great Sand Dunes - Sand in Our Hair

Photos by Richard R. Barron

From Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia:

One of the most unusual features of the park happens at Medano Creek, which borders the east side of the dunes and is located next to the Visitor Center. Because fresh sand continually falls in the creek, Medano Creek never finds a permanent and stable streambed. Small underwater sand dunes that act like dams continually form, and break down. So waders in the stream see surges—which look like waves—of water flowing downstream at intervals of just a few seconds to a minute or more. In a high-water year, these surges can be as much as a foot in height, resembling ocean waves. Building sand castles with the creek sand is a popular visitor activity.