Mother Nature has a surprise lined up in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and  Preserve, as the snowpack at Medano Pass is well above normal (+160 percent). This means it’s an exceptionally good year for tubing on the Medano Creek (dubbed "Colorado’s natural beach"), the snowmelt or “surge flow” creating a river, with waves of up to 20 inches, the water surging over ripples in the sand as it flows around the base of the dunes. You can still expect a shallow flow in July, and the Zapata Cattle & Bison Ranch offers guided hiking and riding within the national park and trailered access to the creek for some wet and wild horsey adventures. A true nature lover’s paradise, additional special weeks include, a bird watching workshop with American birding magazine editor and naturalist Ted Floyd and a hike into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

It's one of the exciting guest-ranch destinations in Tripatini contributor Bea Villiers' post Exploring Mother Nature on Horseback Across the World.