Great Sand Dunes National Park Quarter

The fourth quarter to be released in 2014 from the US Mint will be the Great Sand Dunes National Park Quarter.  It will be 24th quarter released overall as part of the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters® Program with this specific strike honoring Great Sand Dunes National Park of Colorado.

Based on the Mint’s previous actions with earlier released quarters, the final design for the Great Sand Dunes National Park Quarter should be known in late 2013. It will showcase a reverse design emblematic of the national park along with the inscriptions of GREAT SAND DUNES, COLORADO, E PLURIBUS UNUM and 2014.

The obverse of the Great Sand Dunes National Park Quarter will be the same as found on all of the other America the Beautiful coins. They contain a portrait of the first President of the United States George Washington, as designed by John Flanagan.

There will be three other quarters released before the Great Sand Dunes Quarter in 2014 which will represent the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Arches National Park.  The Everglades National Park will be the last national park honored in 2014 on a quarter.


 

Great Sand Dunes National Park information

Originally, the Great Sand Dunes National Park of Colorado was founded as a national monument in 1932 and was only a fraction of the size it is today.  In 2000, another large portion of land was purchased to increase the size of the monument.  Finally, in 2004, Great Sand Dunes was designated a national park.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is not a dry area.  In fact, the dunes maintain a certain amount of stability due to moist sand underneath a dry top layer.  There are rivers that flow around the dunes that also erode away at the sand.  However, when the rivers dry up, the wind blows that sand back up into the dunes, replenishing them.

There is more to this national park than just sand dunes.  There are several alpine lakes, forests, and wetlands.  This diverse array of landscapes means that tourists should prepare for multiple climates.  Those who do visit will find that hiking within the park can be a very rewarding experience.