Sand giants
The pilot explains that while Athabasca offers a variety of unique dune fields and many extraordinary sights to see, his passengers should be sure to visit the most intriguing field of all, which is located on the west bank of the William River. Part of the largest dune field in the park, stretching west for more than nine miles and covering close to 40 acres, there are giant dunes that stand more than 100-feet-tall. Over the years, these giant dunes that have been referred to as “seif dunes,” also known as longitudinal or linear because of their straightness and long, continuous sharp ridges; transverse dunes because they are horizontal to the prevailing winds, and also oblique sand ridges because of the strong influence of opposing winds. These giant dunes truly are a spectacular sight to see on account of their massive size.