Introduction
Sand dunes can grow to extraordinary heights where wind patterns consistently pile sand against topographic barriers. The tallest dunes are essentially mountains of sand.
Dune height is measured from the surrounding base to the crest. Wind direction, sand supply, and underlying terrain all determine how tall a dune can grow.
1. Cerro Blanco, Peru
- Height: 1,176 m (3,858 ft)
- Location: Nazca Valley
- Type: Climbing dune
Cerro Blanco is the tallest sand dune in the world. Sand blown from the coastal desert accumulates against a mountain slope, creating this massive dune.
Sandboarding down Cerro Blanco is a popular activity, though the 2-3 hour climb to the top is exhausting at altitude.
2. Cerro Medanoso, Chile
- Height: ~560 m (1,837 ft)
- Location: Atacama Desert
- Type: Star dune
Cerro Medanoso is a massive star dune in the driest desert on Earth. Star dunes form where wind comes from multiple directions, piling sand into a central peak.
3. Badain Jaran Dunes, China
- Height: ~500 m (1,640 ft)
- Location: Inner Mongolia
- Unique: Lakes between dunes
The Badain Jaran dunes are the tallest stationary dunes in the world. Between the dunes lie over 100 lakes, some of which are freshwater springs.
The dunes produce mysterious "singing" sounds caused by avalanching sand grains, a phenomenon still not fully understood.
4. Duna Federico Kirbus, Argentina
- Height: ~500 m (1,640 ft)
- Location: Catamarca Province
- Type: Climbing dune
This massive dune in northwestern Argentina is one of the tallest in the Americas. It sits in a remote desert region at high altitude.
5. Rig-e Yalan Dune, Iran
- Height: ~407 m (1,335 ft)
- Location: Lut Desert
- Type: Star dune
The Lut Desert contains some of the tallest dunes in the Middle East. The same volcanic dark surface that makes the Lut the hottest place on Earth also creates dramatic dune formations.
6. Dune 7, Namibia
- Height: 388 m (1,273 ft)
- Location: Walvis Bay
- Popular: Sandboarding destination
Dune 7 is the tallest dune in Namibia and one of the tallest in Africa. It is a popular sandboarding and dune-climbing destination near the coast.
7. Big Daddy (Dune 45 neighbor), Namibia
- Height: 325 m (1,066 ft)
- Location: Sossusvlei
- Color: Deep red-orange
Big Daddy overlooks the famous Deadvlei clay pan with its dead camelthorn trees. The deep red color comes from iron oxide coating on the sand grains.
8. Star Dune, Colorado, USA
- Height: 229 m (750 ft)
- Location: Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Type: Star dune
Star Dune is the tallest dune in North America. The Great Sand Dunes sit at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where wind patterns trap sand.
Key Facts
- Cerro Blanco (1,176 m) is taller than many actual mountains.
- Badain Jaran dunes have freshwater lakes between them, an unexplained phenomenon.
- Star dunes form where winds come from multiple directions.
- Sand dunes can "sing" when sand avalanches down their slopes.
- The tallest dunes are found in Peru, China, Chile, and the Sahara.
Fun Facts
- It takes 2-3 hours to climb Cerro Blanco but only minutes to sandboard back down.
- Badain Jaran dunes produce booming sounds so loud they can be heard from kilometers away.
- Namibia's red dunes get their color from iron rust coating each grain of sand.
- Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado has dunes despite being in the Rocky Mountains.
Final Thoughts
The world's tallest sand dunes are among the most surprising landforms on Earth. These mountains of wind-blown sand, some exceeding a kilometer in height, demonstrate the incredible power of wind to reshape landscapes.
