Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
  • 1. Which component of the Great Sand Dunes system receives heavy snow and rain?
A) The dune field
B) The mountain watershed
C) The sand sheet
D) The sabkha
  • 2. What type of moisture content is found below the dry surface of the dunes?
A) No moisture content
B) 10% moisture content
C) 5% moisture content
D) 7% moisture content
  • 3. Which type of dune is also known as crescentic or barchan dunes?
A) Reversing dunes
B) Star dunes
C) Parabolic dunes
D) Transverse dunes
  • 4. Where is almost 90% of the sand deposit found in the Great Sand Dunes system?
A) The sabkha
B) The mountain watershed
C) The sand sheet
D) The dune field
  • 5. What forms around vegetation in the sand sheet?
A) Transverse dunes
B) Reversing dunes
C) Star dunes
D) Nabkha Dunes
  • 6. What happens to the sabkha when water evaporates in late summer?
A) Minerals cement sand grains into a hard, white crust
B) The sabkha becomes deeper with more plants and animals
C) Sand is blown away by wind
D) Water rises to form new dunes
  • 7. Which tree species can be found in the park?
A) Ponderosa pine
B) Birch tree
C) Eucalyptus
D) Maple tree
  • 8. What type of grass is primarily found around the Sabkha wetlands?
A) Blue grama grass
B) Inland saltgrass
C) Buffalo grass
D) Ryegrass
  • 9. Which flowering plant is known as alpine phlox?
A) Dwarf clover
B) Rocky Mountain iris
C) Alpine phlox
D) Paintbrush flowers
  • 10. What type of dunes migrate into the main dunefield from the sand sheet?
A) Transverse dunes
B) Star dunes
C) Reversing dunes
D) Small parabolic dunes
  • 11. What is the role of creeks in the Great Sand Dunes system?
A) They only provide water for vegetation.
B) They create new mountain ranges.
C) They prevent sand from moving.
D) They carry sand back toward the valley and then to the dune field.
  • 12. Which component of the Great Sand Dunes system is seasonally saturated by rising groundwater?
A) The sabkha
B) The sand sheet
C) The mountain watershed
D) The dune field
  • 13. Which tree species is not found in the park?
A) Douglas fir
B) Aspen
C) Eucalyptus
D) Ponderosa pine
  • 14. What type of environment do hundreds of plant species in the park adapt to?
A) Deserts and rainforests
B) Urban areas
C) Tropical beaches and swamps
D) Alpine tundra and warm water wetlands
  • 15. What type of dune is characterized by multiple arms radiating from a central point?
A) Parabolic dunes
B) Star dunes
C) Reversing dunes
D) Transverse dunes
  • 16. Which flowering plant is known as the Rocky Mountain iris?
A) Paintbrush flowers
B) Dwarf clover
C) Rocky Mountain iris
D) Alpine phlox
  • 17. What Köppen climate classification type is assigned to the dunefield of the Great Sand Dunes?
A) Tropical rainforest (Af)
B) Mediterranean (Csa)
C) Cold semi-arid (BSk)
D) Warm-summer humid continental (Dfb)
  • 18. What is the average high temperature in July at the Great Sand Dunes?
A) Below 60 °F (16 °C)
B) Above 90 °F (32 °C)
C) Slightly above 80 °F (27 °C)
D) Around 70 °F (21 °C)
  • 19. How much does the temperature typically spread between high and low in a day at the park?
A) About 25–30 °F (14–17 °C)
B) 5–10 °F (3–6 °C)
C) 10–15 °F (6–8 °C)
D) 40–45 °F (22–25 °C)
  • 20. What is the average annual precipitation on the dunes?
A) 15 inches (381 mm)
B) 8 inches (203 mm)
C) 11.13 inches (283 mm)
D) 20 inches (508 mm)
  • 21. What month is typically the snowiest at the Great Sand Dunes?
A) March
B) April
C) January
D) December
  • 22. During what time of year does Medano Creek usually have its peak flow?
A) Mid-summer
B) Late spring
C) Early winter
D) Fall
  • 23. What can sand surface temperatures reach on sunny afternoons in summer?
A) 100 °F (38 °C)
B) 90 °F (32 °C)
C) 150 °F (66 °C)
D) 120 °F (49 °C)
  • 24. What weather phenomena are common in July and August at the park?
A) Fog
B) Afternoon thundershowers
C) Snowstorms
D) Tornadoes
  • 25. During which season are Indian summer days, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 60 °F (16 °C), typically experienced?
A) Spring
B) Summer
C) Fall
D) Winter
  • 26. What is the average winter high temperature in January at the Great Sand Dunes?
A) Above 50 °F (10 °C)
B) Below 32 °F (0 °C)
C) Around 40 °F (4 °C)
D) Just above freezing
  • 27. What is the total area of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve?
A) 107,342 acres (434.4 km2)
B) 35,528 acres (143.8 km2)
C) 149,028 acres (603.1 km2)
D) 65,1 sq mi
  • 28. Which of the following is NOT one of the four primary components of the Great Sand Dunes system?
A) Sand sheet
B) Volcanic plateau
C) Dune field
D) Mountain watershed
  • 29. Which tribe was the first historic people to inhabit the San Luis Valley?
A) Zuni
B) Southern Ute Tribe
C) Apache
D) Navajo
  • 30. Who became the first European on record to enter the San Luis Valley?
A) Diego de Vargas
B) Juan Bautista de Anza
C) John C. Frémont
D) Zebulon Pike
  • 31. Is hunting permitted within the national park boundaries?
A) Only in designated areas
B) No, it is prohibited at all times
C) Yes, with a special permit
D) Yes, during specific seasons
  • 32. How many times does the unpaved road to Medano Pass cross the stream bed of Medano Creek?
A) Five times
B) Nine times
C) Seven times
D) Twelve times
  • 33. What is the recreational visitor total for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2019?
A) 600,000 visitors
B) 400,000 visitors
C) 300,000 visitors
D) 527,546 visitors
  • 34. Which tribe called the Great Sand Dunes 'Sei-anyedi'?
A) Navajo
B) Jicarilla Apaches
C) Tewa/Tiwa-speaking pueblos
D) Ute
  • 35. What do the Tewa/Tiwa-speaking pueblos call the lake near the dunes?
A) Sip'ophe (Sandy Place Lake)
B) Saa waap maa nache
C) Sisnaajini
D) Sei-anyedi
  • 36. In which year did Don Diego de Vargas enter the San Luis Valley?
A) 1807
B) 1776
C) 1848
D) 1694
  • 37. What type of animals did Don Diego de Vargas and his men hunt in the southern part of the San Luis Valley?
A) Deer
B) Elk
C) Bison
D) Antelope
  • 38. What year did Zebulon Pike write about the Great Sand Dunes?
A) 1776
B) 1848
C) 1853
D) 1807
  • 39. What did Zebulon Pike compare the appearance of the sand hills to?
A) A mountain range
B) A desert oasis
C) The sea in a storm
D) A forest
  • 40. During which season did John C. Frémont cross the Sangre de Cristos into the San Luis Valley?
A) Fall
B) Winter
C) Spring
D) Summer
  • 41. What year did Captain John Gunnison and his party cross the dune field on horseback?
A) 1848
B) 1853
C) 1807
D) 1776
  • 42. In which year was Fort Massachusetts built near the Great Sand Dunes?
A) 1875
B) 1852
C) 1932
D) 1911
  • 43. Which family established a ranch along Medano Creek in 1875?
A) The Wellington family
B) The Herard family
C) The Trujillo family
D) The Volcanic Mining Company
  • 44. What did the Herard family establish in Medano Creek?
A) A concrete manufacturing plant
B) An irrigation ditch
C) A trout hatchery
D) A gold mill
  • 45. Which organization sponsored a bill for national monument status for Great Sand Dunes?
A) The P.E.O. Sisterhood
B) The Herard family
C) The Volcanic Mining Company
D) The Nature Conservancy
  • 46. Who signed the bill granting national monument status to Great Sand Dunes into law?
A) President Herbert Hoover
B) President George Washington
C) President Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) President Theodore Roosevelt
  • 47. When was the expansion of the monument into a national park and preserve completed?
A) 1911
B) 1999
C) 2004
D) 1932
  • 48. Which mountain range is located to the west of the San Luis Valley?
A) Rocky Mountains
B) San Juan Mountains
C) Sierra Nevada
D) Cascade Range
  • 49. What process did geologists use to estimate the age of sand deposits in the dunes?
A) Potassium-argon dating
B) Carbon dating
C) Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)
D) Radiometric dating
  • 50. What causes the dunes to grow vertically?
A) Volcanic activity
B) Erosion from mountain streams
C) Constant unidirectional winds
D) Opposing wind directions during storms
  • 51. What mineral found in the dunes is both attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized?
A) Magnetite
B) Calcite
C) Feldspar
D) Quartz
  • 52. What is the primary reason for the stability of the main dune field?
A) Opposing wind directions balance each other out over time
B) Lack of vegetation
C) Constant rainfall
D) Human intervention
  • 53. What is the approximate latitude of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve?
A) 30.50° north
B) 40.00° north
C) 37.75° north
D) 35.00° north
  • 54. Which forest is located to the north of Great Sand Dunes National Park?
A) Rio Grande National Forest
B) Baca National Wildlife Refuge
C) San Juan Mountains
D) San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area
  • 55. What is the closest city to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve?
A) Mosca
B) Alamosa
C) Blanca
D) Crestone
  • 56. Which major road runs east-west through the San Luis Valley near the park?
A) U.S. Route 285
B) Colorado State Highway 17
C) Rio Grande Road
D) U.S. Route 160
  • 57. What percentage of all the sand in the park is contained within the surrounding flat sand sheet?
A) 50%
B) 70%
C) 80%
D) 90%
  • 58. Which wildlife refuge is adjacent to the west of Great Sand Dunes National Park?
A) Sangre de Cristo Range
B) Baca National Wildlife Refuge
C) San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area
D) Rio Grande National Forest
  • 59. What is the approximate distance from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Denver?
A) Two days by bus
B) An hour by car
C) Half a day by train
D) A few hours by car
  • 60. Which town is located to the east of Great Sand Dunes National Park?
A) Hooper
B) Gardner
C) Mosca
D) Crestone
  • 61. Which mammal is known for its ability to live in both alpine tundra and low elevation grasslands?
A) pika
B) bison
C) porcupine
D) kangaroo rat
  • 62. How many bison are ranched within the park boundaries on private land owned by The Nature Conservancy?
A) More than 2000
B) Approximately 2500
C) Less than 1000
D) About 1500
  • 63. Which bird species is known for nesting in the mountains during the summer?
A) great blue heron
B) American avocet
C) white-tailed ptarmigan
D) sandhill crane
  • 64. Which reptile found in the park is known for its horn-like spines?
A) fence lizard
B) short-horned lizard
C) bullsnake
D) garter snake
  • 65. Which amphibian found in the park is known for its distinctive call during mating season?
A) tiger salamander
B) spadefoot toad
C) Great Plains toad
D) chorus frog
  • 66. Which bird species is a large, wading bird found in the park?
A) sandhill crane
B) hummingbird
C) western tanager
D) red-breasted nuthatch
  • 67. Which reptile is known for its ability to mimic ants in appearance and behavior?
A) garter snake
B) fence lizard
C) Werner's ant-like flower beetle
D) bullsnake
  • 68. Which amphibian is known for its ability to burrow underground during dry periods?
A) tiger salamander
B) northern leopard frog
C) spadefoot toad
D) Woodhouse's toad
  • 69. Which bird species is known for its impressive diving ability?
A) peregrine falcon
B) golden eagle
C) bald eagle
D) sandhill crane
  • 70. Which type of tree is known as 'crooked wood' and grows near the tree line?
A) Ponderosa pine
B) Krummholz
C) Aspen
D) Cottonwood
  • 71. Which animals are known to hunt mule deer in the montane forests and woodlands?
A) Bighorn sheep
B) Cougars
C) Elk
D) Pronghorn
  • 72. Which bird species can be found hunting in the sabkha wetlands?
A) Hawk
B) Eagle
C) American avocet
D) Peregrine falcon
  • 73. Which mammal species is known to visit the dunes from other habitats?
A) Kangaroo
B) Elk
C) Horse
D) Elephant
  • 74. What type of environment do cottonwood and aspen trees thrive in at Great Sand Dunes National Park?
A) Montane woodlands
B) Subalpine forests
C) Riparian zones along creeks
D) Dune fields
  • 75. Which animal is known to nest in the ground on the sand sheet?
A) Groundhogs
B) Squirrels
C) Prairie dogs
D) Burrowing owls
  • 76. Which type of vehicle is recommended by the park service for Medano Pass Road due to deep sandy stretches?
A) Fat tire bikes
B) Motorcycles
C) Standard bicycles
D) Street-licensed 4WD motor vehicles
  • 77. Which trail leads to the summit of Mount Herard?
A) Mosca Pass Trail
B) A trail off Medano Pass Road
C) Medano Ramp Trail
D) Sand Creek Trail
  • 78. What is the length of Medano Pass Road?
A) 22 miles (35 kilometers)
B) 30 miles
C) 15 miles
D) 10 miles
  • 79. Which organization provides guided trips into the park from Zapata Ranch?
A) Great Sand Dunes Adventure Company
B) The Nature Conservancy
C) Zapata Partners
D) National Park Service
  • 80. What type of hunting is allowed in the national preserve during autumn?
A) No hunting
B) Commercial hunting
C) Hunting with dogs only
D) Sport hunting
  • 81. In what year was the dunes area first designated a national monument?
A) 1932
B) 1999
C) 2000
D) 1976
  • 82. What IUCN management category was assigned to the Great Sand Dunes in 2000?
A) Natural monument (III)
B) Protected landscape (V)
C) Wilderness area (Ib)
D) National park (II)
  • 83. Which organization purchased the Baca Ranch in 2002?
A) The Nature Conservancy
B) Department of the Interior
C) U.S. Forest Service
D) National Park Service
  • 84. How much did The Nature Conservancy pay for the Baca Ranch?
A) $15 million
B) $20 million
C) $50 million
D) $31.28 million
  • 85. What designation was given to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in 2019?
A) World Heritage Site
B) National Historic Landmark
C) International Dark Sky Park
D) Biosphere Reserve
  • 86. Which peak is located within the Baca Ranch?
A) Pikes Peak
B) Mount Elbert
C) Longs Peak
D) Kit Carson Peak
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