Thanks for the trip reports sir. I would like to take the trail out to the dunes sometime. That time of year with the change looks killer. Maybe I can get the wife to go with.
Russ
You're welcome as I'm happy to share my fun with the folks here. Medano pass is relatively easy trail that most stock 4wd trucks can do without any issue. You just need to air down for the sand. The nice thing about the sand is it keeps the masses out. On the east side of the pass it looks like they took a small bulldozer to the trail and graded it to the point it feels paved so it's very easy now.
Being a National park brings crowds in the spring for the runoff and to see Medano Creek actually flowing at the base of the dunes and in the fall for the leaves changing.
Just outside the actual park boundary there are multiple primitive campsites with bear lockers (it is bear country) that are away from the masses down within the park.