Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a state park located in Utah's Canyon Country between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab. The park offers recreation for both motorized and non-motorized users, with over 125,000 yearly visitors, and at the same time it protects endangered species endemic to the park.

Understand

History

The Dunes were established in 1963. The 3,730 acres of Bureau of Land Management land was established as a Utah state park in 1963.

Landscape

Starting about 15,000 years ago, piles of coral pink colored sand blew through a notch between the Moquith Mountains and Moccasin Mountain. The wind tossed it into the valley where it now lies in drifts of sand in this southern Utah state park. The reddish grains of sand come from the eroding Navajo sandstone, thus giving the dunes its name. Hills of dunes are vegetation free, and other sections are dotted with juniper, pine trees, bushes and wildflowers. From the sandy hills of the park there is a breathtaking view of the Vermillion Cliffs. The skies above are brilliantly clear.

Flora and fauna

In the lower vegetation zone of the high desert, pinon pines and junipers thrive, thrown in among the trees and sand are a spackling of wildflowers, grasses and cactus. Ponderosa Pines peer down from the higher elevations in the distinct, upper vegetation zone. The animals search out pools of water where they can survive. Odd enough the tiger salamander and toads live at the park. There are also small mammals such as jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, fox, coyote, bobcats, mountain lions, ring-tailed cat and mule deer. A few birds and reptiles make their home at the park including the a few harmless snakes, the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and the golden eagle.

Climate

The summers are hot and the winters are cool at the arid dunes. In the summer expect day time temperatures around 90 degrees with occasional thunderstorms. In the winter the snows usually begins in December and can continue, off and on, until April with a quick snow storm occasionally in May.

Get in

The road to the signed turn-off to the park (Yellow Jacket Road) is located 3 miles from Mount Carmel Junction, off Highway 89. Follow this road another 8 miles to the park entrance.

To get to the park from Kanab, get on Highway 89 and turn-off the signed road (Hancock Road). Continue to the park entrance. It is 22 miles from Kanab to the park.

The third entrance is from UT-389. This is a long dirt road that gets little use by park visitors.

Fees and permits

Hours: Daylight hours, seven days a week. Day Visits: $8. Camping: $20.

Get around

Most people head for the park entrance, pay their fee and then walk out on the boardwalk. That is a good start and there is a marked trail to take that meanders around the dunes. If you are not into four-wheeling then take your buckets and shovels and play away. ATV users will find trails galore. There are a couple of locations where you can hike to pictographs, but you will need a four-wheeler to get to the trailheads.

See

Boardwalk
Half-mile trail by the Boardwalk
Ponderosa Grove Picnic Area
Moquith Mountain
Harris Mountains
South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs
Helldive Canyon Pictographs
Jr. Ranger Program – Kids will enjoy this. Just check in at the visitor center.
Sightseeing

Do

Four-wheeling
Sledding in the winter
Hiking
Playing in the sand
Picnic
Utah Off-Road Outfitters, Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Guided ATV tours, 1 to 3 hours.
The backcountry around the dunes is wild and fun to explore. There are many side roads to take and places to hike, but they are not actual trails for the most part.

Buy

The visitor center sells firewood for $5 a bundle, Off Highway Vehicle Registration, and ice. Fires are only permitted in designated fire rings located in the campground.

Nearby towns with stores include:

Eat

There are vending machines at the visitor center that have chips, cookies, crackers.

Drink

The vending machine at the visitor center has soda and water.

Sleep

Lodging

There is no lodging at the dunes but both Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab have hotels, bed and breakfasts, cabins and RV Parks.

Camping

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes has an outstanding campground with full showers. They are wonderful after a hot day in the sand. The campgrounds can get noisy from all the four-wheelers, but there is a noise curfew.

Stay safe

Have a spare for trips out in the dunes and a means to change it. Taking plenty of water is important in this environment. It's hot in the desert and little water around.

Go next

Zion National Park
Grand Canyon North Rim
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Bryce Canyon
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park - state park of a state of the United States