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Sergey Guk

Singing sand dunes

By Lauralyn Duff
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In Southern Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes are alive with the sound of music. The tallest dunes in North America rise above 750 feet — a surreal landscape that sings on scorching summer days. For that to happen you need high peaks, steep slopes and bone-dry sand. A single step can trigger an avalanche. As the grains of sand gain momentum and cascade across a hard underlayer, a deep, resonant hum rolls across the valley. Just like a cello’s body amplifies a string’s vibration, the dune itself resonates to carry the sound of a single note. Often a G, F# or E flat. The thicker the avalanching layer, the deeper the boom. And because Great Sand Dunes National Park is one of the quietest places in Colorado, you might get lucky and hear the dunes sing.

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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.

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