Go East Young Man: my routes from Zion National Park to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

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On June 24, after Zion National Park, I start the trip home with stops in Colorado at Mesa Verde National Park, Durango, Colorado, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Here are my tentative routes from Zion to Great Sand Dunes. The drive to Cortez, Colorado, is through Monument Valley, but Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Tribal Park is still closed due to Covid-19, so I won't be able to stop at the park's visitor center but I should be able to experience the majesty of Monument Valley nonetheless. I am planning stops in Page, Arizona, at the Glen Canyon Dam, maybe a detour to Horseshoe Bend, and maybe a stop at Natural Bridges National Monument. I was also hoping to visit the Navajo Nation's Four Corners Monument, but it is also still closed due to Covid-19.

In Durango, I have a ticket for a 5-hour train ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad into the San Juan Mountains. The drive from Durango to Montrose is via part of the scenic San Juan Skyway and may allow for a side trip to Telluride, if time permits. After Montrose, and a visit to Black Canyon, I then drive to Alamosa, Colorado, for the visit to Great Sand Dunes.










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