From Base to Dunes: Peterson Space Force Youth Explore Great Sand Dunes National Park

In June 2025, National Park Trust partnered with Peterson Space Force Base’s Youth Summer Programs Division to bring a group of kids of all ages to Great Sand Dunes National Park for an overnight camping trip. The trip included an NPS Ranger Program, hiking trails all over the park, and sandboarding and sledding the dunes. This amazing and in-depth experience was made possible through a partnership with National Park Trust, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Outdoor Recreation. Together, this partnership provides active duty U.S. airmen and their families with engaging outdoor outings and experiences at national parks near them. Through shared experiences in nature with NPS rangers and outdoor staff, active duty service members and their families are introduced to outdoor spaces and places in their local community that they can recreate on their own in the future.

The day began at Pinon Flats campground in Great Sand Dunes National Park. The group met with Chief of Interpretation Sierra Willoughby, who gave the kids and group leaders a welcome to the park, and guided them down to the park amphitheatre for a ranger program on the native tribes that inhabited the area before settlers arrived. After the ranger program, everyone headed down to the dunes to try sand sledding and sandboarding. After camping out overnight, the group went for a morning hike in the park before being sworn in as Junior Rangers, pledging to protect Great Sand Dunes National Park and recreate responsibly.

The Great Sand Dunes trip with Peterson Space Force Base marked the fourth of over ten planned engagement events with the U.S. Air Force and their bases across the country. Through these experiences and programs, the National Park Trust offers active duty airmen and their families the opportunity to engage deeply in our national public parks, lands, and waters.