Much of Utah is desert, so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that we have sand dunes here. Last year, we wrote about Little Sahara in the Sevier Desert. It’s a great place to visit, especially if you loved to play on ATVs. But here are some more sand dunes…and they have a unique characteristic.
The dunes at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park were created by a unique wind tunnel effect from the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains.
Mark Byzewski/flickr The wind rushing through the notch erodes the Navajo sandstone, then carries the grains of sand into the open valley. Once the wind enters the valley, it loses its stamina and the sand grains drop to the ground. After 10,000 to 15,000 years of deposits, we have the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
The wind still has an impact here, though; the dunes shift and move as much as 50 feet annually.
mark byzewski/flickr
The wind creates gorgeous ripples and patterns in the sand.
dgs331/Tripadvisor
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park encompasses 3,730 acres. Far from being a desolate place, this park draws visitors from all over the Beehive State, for all kinds of recreation activities.
Rob Lee/flickr
Spend the day exploring the dunes on your quad or dune buggy. About 90 percent of the park is accessible to ATVs.
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr
This is also a wonderful place to explore on foot. And, you’ll get a good workout, too! Deep sand can make for strenuous walking.
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr
Kids (and let’s face it…adults too) love to play in the sand and slide down the dunes.
Jeff Turner/flickr
You can even leave a temporary message in the richly-colored pink sand.
Kristin Marie Enns-Kavanaugh/flickr
This park is home to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle. It’s the only place in the world to find this species.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia
Contrary to what you might think, even wildflowers can grow in this desert environment.
Chris Dickey/flickr
In fact, during early summer months, you might come over a rise to find this…A whole field of flowers!
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is located about 22 miles west of Kanab.
Google You’ll pay a day use fee of $8 per vehicle. The park is open for day use during daylight hours, every day of the week. You can also camp in the campground for $20/night.
Have you hiked or ridden ATVs at Coral Pink Sands State Park? Tell us about your adventures there!
Mark Byzewski/flickr
The wind rushing through the notch erodes the Navajo sandstone, then carries the grains of sand into the open valley. Once the wind enters the valley, it loses its stamina and the sand grains drop to the ground. After 10,000 to 15,000 years of deposits, we have the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
mark byzewski/flickr
dgs331/Tripadvisor
Rob Lee/flickr
Quinn Dombrowski/flickr
Jeff Turner/flickr
Kristin Marie Enns-Kavanaugh/flickr
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Wikimedia
Chris Dickey/flickr
You’ll pay a day use fee of $8 per vehicle. The park is open for day use during daylight hours, every day of the week. You can also camp in the campground for $20/night.
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