How Crowded Is Great Sand Dunes in May?
May is a very busy month at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, running about 1.7× the park's average month — roughly 14% of the year's visitors come in May. That puts it between the June peak and the January low. Overall our best-time score rates May as "Fair" for a visit. Typical May weather averages a high near 66°F and a low around 38°F, with about 1.2" of precipitation and roughly 1.7" of snow. You'll get about 14.0 hours of daylight to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
May is very busy at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve (about 1.7× the average month). Our best-time score rates it "Fair". The single best month overall is September.
The busiest month is June and the quietest is January. May sits at about 1.7× the park's average, or 14% of annual visitation.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991–2020. Updated 2026-06-20.