From Base to Dunes: A Weekend Adventure for Service Members and Families

On Saturday, October 12th, the National Park Trust partnered with Buckley Space Force Base’s Office of Outdoor Recreation to bring on-base service members and their families to Great Sand Dunes National Park for an overnight camping trip filled with fun, exploration, and lots of sand! This special event was made possible through a collaboration between the National Park Trust, the U.S. Air Force Office of Outdoor Recreation, and USAA, offering a unique opportunity for our military service members and their families to engage with their local national park.

The adventure kicked off with an afternoon welcome to the park by Park Superintendent Andrea Compton and Chief of Interpretation, Education, and Visitor Services Sierra Willoughby after setting up tents and learning about the history of the park, each participant was presented with their military annual pass providing access to 431 NPS sites across the country, as well as many other public lands and waters. 

After lunch, participants headed to the dunes for an afternoon of hiking, exploring, sand sledding, and boarding. Each participant received a sand sled or sandboard to utilize on the dunes, and all enjoyed the experience of sliding down steep dunes. After dinner and s’mores by the campfire, participants enjoyed gazing at the hundreds of stars in the sky before sleeping. By the end of the weekend, participants had engaged deeply with the park, its dune, and the rangers that call it home. They were encouraged to engage deeper in Colorado’s national parks by utilizing their new park passes.

Partnering for the first time in 2024, USAA and National Park Trust are working together to engage Texas and Colorado-based active duty families in meaningful outdoor experiences that work to improve overall health & wellness, with a special focus on mental health.

This was the sixth outdoor recreation event provided by our new partner, USAA! Through these events, military service members and their families can enjoy the great outdoors, learn new skills, and create lasting memories, reinforcing the invaluable role national parks play in promoting recreation, education, and family well-being.