Medano Creek

Duration:

1 minute, 16 seconds

This short National Park Service video reveals Medano Creek's attraction for people of all ages, and explains mysterious 'surge flow'!

 

Medano Creek at peak flow in late May, with a surge flow wave. See current and forecast conditions below.

NPS/Patrick Myers

 

Medano Creek's bed is dry and intermittently snow-covered at the main Dunes Parking Area. Snowpack above the dunes is currently less than half of average for this date.

NPS

Current Conditions

as of April 1, 2025

Refresh this page for the latest information.

• Medano Creek's bed is dry and occasionally snow-covered at the Dunes Parking Lot. The creek is melting out and flowing gently along the eastern edge of the dunefield, near Sand Pit Picnic Area and Castle Creek Picnic Area. It sinks into the sand here due to limited flow, and may partially or completely freeze at night. These areas are accessible by high-clearance 4WD vehicle on the Medano Pass Primitive Road.
  
  
• Check up-to-the-minute flow (available spring through fall). This is shown as a flow graph of Medano Creek in cubic feet per second (cfs), measured where it first reaches the sand 5 miles upstream from the Dunes Parking Area. This is not the flow to expect in the main visitor area, but it gives a relative indication of flow and whether it is increasing or decreasing. Peak flow in an average year occurs in late May or early June at 40 cfs. The creek usually no longer reaches the Dunes Parking Lot when it drops below 4 cfs.
  
  
• Check park weather forecasts for environmental conditions.

 

2025 Season Forecast Flow

The depth and duration of Medano Creek's flow are a direct result of the amount of snowpack in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. So far it has been a dry winter, with snowpack less than half of average for March 31. April is normally the second snowiest month of the year, so final snowpack and a more definitive flow forecast won't be available until the end of April.

 

Medano Creek Conditions to Expect Each Month in an Average Year

See also overall conditions to expect at Great Sand Dunes each month of the year.

Below are typical creek conditions for each month of an average season. Less or more snowpack will affect the depth and duration of the creek.

April

• While April is the second snowiest month of the year on average, there can also be warmer, sunny days that begin to melt the snowpack.
  
  
• Medano Creek usually arrives at the Dunes Parking Area sometime in April, at first just a trickle. By the end of April, it may be a few inches/cm deep with minimal surge flow.

May

• Flow increases through May, and late May is near the peak of Medano Creek's annual flow.
  
  
• While it is still springtime and winds may arise, especially in the afternoon, May temperatures are generally moderate, with highs in the 60s-70s F. However, snow is still possible at this elevation in May!
  
  
• Trees and bushes along the creek leaf out. There are some "no-see-ums" (tiny biting gnats), but mosquitoes are rarely out in May.
  
  
• Late May and early June are the best opportunity to experience ‘surge flow’, where waves flow down across the sand. In average or wetter years, surge flow waves are high enough for children to float down limited distances on flat inflatable toys.
  
  
• Water comes out of the mountains cold, but warms up significantly when the sun shines on it for a few hours as it spreads across the sand.
  
  
• Because of the creek's popularity, late May and early June weekends are extremely crowded, with long lines of traffic, overflowing parking lots, a crowded beach, and full campgrounds. If possible, plan your visit on a weekday this time of year.

June

• There are warmer water temperatures for water play and generally pleasant temperatures in June.
  

• Late May and early June are the best opportunity to experience "surge flow", where waves flow down across the sand. In average or wetter years, surge flow waves are high enough for children to float down limited distances on flat inflatable toys.
  

• Because of the creek's popularity, late May and early June weekends are extremely crowded, with long lines of traffic, overflowing parking lots, a crowded beach, and full campgrounds. If possible, plan your visit on a weekday this time of year.
  

• As the creek becomes much lower and slower around the second week of June, mosquitoes will emerge in large numbers. Move away from vegetation, to the far side of the creek to avoid the worst of the mosquitoes: they don't like open sand, but prefer to be near shady bushes and trees.
  

• By late June, the water level will be fairly low, only 1 or 2 inches (1-5cm) or may even be drying up.

July

• Unless there are significant ongoing rains, the creek will be retreating back toward the mountains and will be dried up at the main visitor area near the Dunes Parking Lot.

• It usually continues to gently flow at 1/2" - 1" (1-2 cm) deep along the eastern edge of the dunefield, near Castle Creek Picnic Area. Castle Creek is accessible by high clearance 4WD vehicle on the Medano Pass Primitive Road. Visitors without 4WD may also access the creek in late summer by hiking approximately 3 miles (5 km) up the creekbed from the Dunes Parking Lot, or approximately 0.7 miles (1km) from the Point of No Return parking area.

• Mosquitoes are typically still present in large numbers after breeding in the low remaining water, but begin to disappear by mid-to-late July.

• July is the warmest month at the park, with average highs in the low 80s F.

August and September

• The creek usually continues to gently flow at 1/2" - 1" (1-2 cm) deep along the eastern edge of the dunefield, near Castle Creek Picnic Area. Castle Creek is accessible by high clearance 4WD vehicle on the Medano Pass Primitive Road. Visitors without 4WD may also access the creek in late summer by hiking approximately 3 miles (5 km) up the creekbed from the Dunes Parking Lot, or approximately 0.7 miles (1km) from the Point of No Return parking area.

• Mosquitoes are gone in late summer and fall.

 

Two children sit in a wave of Medano Creek at peak flow

NPS/Patrick Myers

Weather

Weather forecasts and information for Great Sand Dunes are available on the park's weather page. Also learn what Conditions to Expect Each Month at the park.

 

In wet years, waves can be large enough at peak flow for floating.

NPS/Patrick Myers

How do you pronounce 'Medano'?

Médano is a Spanish word that means "sand dune". It is pronounced "MED-ah-no". In the original Spanish there is an accent on the é.

 

A skimboarder glides along Medano Creek, June 2024

NPS/Patrick Myers

Medano Creek Activities

Depending on water level, visitors may do any non-motorized and non-mechanized activities in the creek, including splashing, wading, skimboarding, floating (works only in small inflatable device with a child at peak runoff), sand castle building, and sand sculpting.

To protect this riparian habitat, please do not disturb living plants or animals, and keep water resources clean.