
The story of dunefield creation starts millions and millions of years ago, back when this area was covered by a shallow sea. Layers of gypsum were left behind as the sea emptied and filled over and over, and you can still see them as light layers of rock in the surrounding mountains.
Water carries dissolved gypsum down to the basin, then evaporates, leaving behind gypsum crystals. Those crystals are then broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until they are the sand you just dug into.
The dunes have been here for around 7,000 years! The secret to keeping all this sand in place is shallow underground water acting as an anchor. Much like a paper towel sucking up water, the dunes act like the paper towel and the water holds them in place. When you feel the wet sand a few inches down, you’re feeling the dunefield’s anchor.
Water carries dissolved gypsum down to the basin, then evaporates, leaving behind gypsum crystals. Those crystals are then broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until they are the sand you just dug into.
The dunes have been here for around 7,000 years! The secret to keeping all this sand in place is shallow underground water acting as an anchor. Much like a paper towel sucking up water, the dunes act like the paper towel and the water holds them in place. When you feel the wet sand a few inches down, you’re feeling the dunefield’s anchor.
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Itineraries across USA

Acadia

Arches National Park

Badlands

Big Bend

Biscayne

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison

Bryce Canyon

Canyonlands

Capitol Reef

Carlsbad Caverns

Channel Islands

Congaree

Crater Lake

Cuyahoga Valley

Death Valley

Dry Tortugas

Everglades

Gateway Arch

Glacier

Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

Great Basin

Great Smoky Mountains

Guadalupe Mountains

Haleakalā

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

Hot Springs

Indiana Dunes

Isle Royale

Joshua Tree

Kenai Fjords

Kobuk Valley

Lassen Volcanic

Mammoth Cave

Mesa Verde

Mount Rainier

North Cascades

Olympic

Petrified Forest

Pinnacles

Rocky Mountain

Saguaro

Shenandoah

Theodore Roosevelt

Virgin Islands

Voyageurs

White Sands

Wind Cave

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Zion