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Ouo162 Higher portions of the monument extending into the foothi lis of the Sangre de Cristos are forested with pinyon pine, juniper, and some ponderosa pine. Surrounding the dunes are shortgrass prairie types of vegetation, with a predominance of rabbitbrush, sagebrush, pricklypear cactus, and various grasses. Occasional mixed stands of aspen, cottonwood, spruce, and fir grow along the stream courses. Three streams run through the monument: Medano and Mosca Creeks on the east, and Sand (Arena) on the northwest. Most of their water eventually disappears into the sand, only to reappear in the San Luis Lakes 10 mi les to the southwest, outside the boundaries of the monument. Visitor-Use Facilities The Great Sand Dunes have attracted visitors for many years to view these unique sand formations and to walk the huge interfaces between Medano Creek and the dunes. About 180,000 people visit Great Sand Dunes National Monument annually. Most spend a few hours on the dunes and picnic at the Mosca Creek Picnic Area. Overn ight visitors camp at the Pinyon Flat Campground at the end of the main monument road. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRELIMINARY WILDERNESS PROPOSAL The proposed wi Iderness unit covers some 28,350 acres, and includes nearly all of the prominent dunes area, as well as an area extending considerably beyond the dunes to the south and west. The boundaries are defined by land survey references' or prominent topographic features. On the north, west, and south, the proposed wilderness boundary is located 1/8 mile from and parallel to the monument boundary, except for a deviation in the vicinity of the private land on the north boundary. The eastern boundary follows land survey references and Medano Creek, remaining west of the monument road, present developments, and private land inholdings on the east side of the monument. t ~ 10