Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Kevlar | September 19, 2009 | 0 Comments

Last June, we got a chance to travel to Southern Utah’s Coral Pink Sand Dunes. These dunes are special. Not only because of its famous salmon-colored sand but because of its diversity of terrain and unique through-the-trees sand trails. We camped at the Meadows dry camp area, a large flat hard packed area the size of several football fields. Even though it was June we shared the site with only two other groups of toy haulers.

The perimeter sand trail is a huge hit

The first thing you notice about this sand after its color is how fine it is; a good reason for putting the paddles on. Once you get out of the Meadows and up the hill you will find plenty of trails through the Ponderosa pine trees to explore. This is unlike any duning I’ve done but somewhat similar to the Oregon dunes. But unlike Oregon you won’t find any giant hill climbs or really dense bush to ride through. Just lots of banked S turns and smaller hills to challenge you, perfect for the sidexsides. There is also a one way sand trail that circles the entire perimeter of the dunes. You could spend hours just on this one trail.

We tended to spend most of our time in the Northeast section of the dunes because they were more forested and they were closer to camp. The Southwest end of the dunes is less forested and the dunes are bigger.

On the second day we made a side trip to the South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs which are north east of our camp. The trailhead was pretty easy to find after a long fun sand trail through the forest but the sign showing the additional 1.5 mile hike with a 1,700 ft elevation change combined with the sun setting on us, discouraged us from attempting it. I figured this was just a sign that told us we would have to come back to this place again. On the way back to camp we encountered Sand Spring, an area where water percolates to the surface making this a popular watering hole for wildlife. In this area we found some kind of livestock pen, perhaps for cattle or horses.

Rhino at Coral Pink

On our last day of duning we did two long rides in the area near our camp and down to a big dune that was long and tall, perfect for side-hilling. I got some good video on these rides. We also did a pretty slick night ride with the Rhinos with no moon. It was pitch black, perfect for satellite viewing. After all this, we were done! It’s not often you don’t hear the kids complaining about leaving but we were pretty duned out.

To sum up the trip I would have to say that Coral Pink was one of the funnest dune trips I’ve done. It’s not the best riding, or doesn’t have a Comp Hill, the killer bowls, steep hills, or sand drags, it doesn’t have any of that. But yet it was still fun for other reasons. I think the trees had a lot to do with it and the scenic beauty of the place was second to none. I will definitely be back. Click here for a compilation video that’s pretty representative of the area: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gZIf3mM24o

The Rhinos supporting the quads with fuel, food, & film !

Area Notes

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a Southern Utah State Recreation area located roughly 9 miles west of Kanab, Utah. and less than a mile from the Arizona border. The dunes are roughly 7 miles long but average only 1/2 mile wide. The park encompasses about 3,700 acres but only about 1,000 are rideable. A 22 unit state campground with partial hookups is at the park as well as the Meadows, a dry camp area about 850′ long by 400′ wide. Elevation is at 6,000 ft and the highest dunes are at 6,500 ft. Many western movies were made at the dunes including “Arabian Nights” in 1942, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” in 1944, “Timbuktu” in 1959, “The Greatest Story Ever Told” in 1965, “MacKenna’s Gold” in 1969 and “One Little Indian” in 1973. The dunes were created by winds eroding the red rock Moccasin Terrace to the Southwest. The park is open year round and reservations at the campground are accepted.

More information about the Coral Pink Sand Dunes can be found at: