Don’t let your first look at the seemingly barren Killpecker Dunes fool you. Upon closer inspection, as you walk over occasional patches of purple vetch and quiet, endless dunes you’ll find much more. The constantly shifting sand, stretching out in a band for more than 55 miles, records, and then erases tracks of birds, coyotes, deer, even insects. Seasonal ponds, fed by melting snowdrifts and insulated by the creamy sand, pop up unexpectedly to greet visitors. Waterfowl frequent the waterholes in the springtime.

As with any desert clime, temperatures in the Dunes area are extreme. Bone-chilling winter nights may reach 40 below; summer’s heat can bring temperatures well over 100.