Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
The tallest sand dunes in North America, against the Sangre de Cristo peaks.
Terra Explorer Natural wonders
Drag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom
Make this model
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.
- Region
- Colorado, USA
- Position
- 37.7916, -105.5943
- Area
- 10 × 10 km
- Real elevation
- 2,317 to 3,366 m (1,049 m of relief)
- Printed size
- 150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:66,700
- Heights
- 2× exaggeration
- Elevation data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, 1–10 m per point
- Suggested color
- Desert
- Group
- Natural wonders
About Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a national park of the United States that conserves an area of large sand dunes on the eastern edge of the San Luis Valley, and an adjacent national preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Range, in south-central Colorado. The park was originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932, by President Herbert Hoover. The original boundaries protected an area of 35,528 acres (55.5 sq mi; 143.8 km2). A boundary change and redesignation as a national park and preserve was authorized on November 22, 2000, and then established on September 24, 2004. The park encompasses 107,342 acres (167.7 sq mi; 434.4 km2) while the preserve protects an additional 41,686 acres (65.1 sq mi; 168.7 km2) for a total of 149,028 acres (232.9 sq mi; 603.1 km2). The recreational visitor total was 527,546 in 2019.
From Wikipedia: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.
Questions about Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
Where is Great Sand Dunes?
Great Sand Dunes is in Colorado, USA at 37.7916, -105.5943. The model covers a 10 by 10 kilometer square around that point.
How high is the terrain in the Great Sand Dunes model?
The land in this model runs from 2,317 to 3,366 m (1,049 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 2 times taller so the shape is easy to see.
Can I 3D print Great Sand Dunes?
Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 36.5 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:66,700. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.
How accurate is the Great Sand Dunes model?
It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans at 1 to 10 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.
Is the Great Sand Dunes model free?
The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.
What is a Great Sand Dunes terrain model good for?
People use it as a desk piece, a gift for a traveler or a way to show students how the land is shaped.
About this terrain model
Embossify Terra builds Great Sand Dunes, Colorado from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. In the United States the heights come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, mostly airborne laser scans that resolve every 1 to 10 meters.
The model covers a 10 by 10 kilometer square centered on 37.7916, -105.5943. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:66,700. The heights are exaggerated 2× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.
New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.
