1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
2. Oregon Dunes
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo
7. Dumont Dunes: California
8. 8. Little Sahara: Utah
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Being from the Midwest, it’s a treat for us to spit up roost, carve bowls and spend a week racing up dune faces. It’s become a staff tradition to retreat to the Imperial Sand Dunes each year for days of hammering through the Glamis sand. It’s also become an addiction.
Sand riding provides a freedom that can’t be explained properly until you experience it for yourself. There’s not one specific way to ride in the dunes. For some, it’s drag racing up steep dune faces testing horsepower. Others make mini motocross courses or long cross-country rides around desert scrub. And that’s what makes dune riding so addictive. It’s pretty much whatever you want it to be.
For those of you in the East, it will take a long road trip to Oklahoma or the western portion of the country to experience the dunes. Midwest and West riders are luckier, however, as there are several riding areas within a reasonable distance. With the sand riding season fast approaching, scour our top 10 duning list and feed the addiction.
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www.treadlightly.org.
1. Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis): California
You probably aren’t shocked by the No. 1 ranking for the Imperial Sand Dunes, located near Brawley, Calif. There are more than 118,000 acres open to recreation, roughly two-thirds of the Imperial Sand Dunes. The dunes extend about 40 miles and are 5 miles wide in most places. Many visitors will choose to stage near Mammoth Wash on the north end, Gecko Campground south of Highway 78 or Buttercup near the Mexican border and south of Highway 8.
During the summer, Glamis becomes a scorcher and temperatures frequently hit 110 degrees. Traditionally, the riding season begins in October and runs through mid-April before it gets too hot to ride. Halloween and Thanksgiving are big holidays at Glamis and more than 100,000 people visit the dunes. If you don’t like crowds and you want smooth dunes, try scheduling your trip in the middle of the week and avoid those two weekends.
2. Oregon Dunes
More than 350,000 ATV users descend upon the Oregon Dunes of Coos Bay, Winchester Bay and Florence each year. For those of you looking for the tallest dunes here, check out Winchester Bay. Each year Dune Fest, a fun five-day event, takes place at Winchester and becomes the heart of the dunes. Many of the dunes ride up and through the forest at Winchester.
Coos Bay is the largest, most expansive section of the Oregon Dunes and beach riding is allowed. Bull Run is the closest area to the ocean and several fingers of dunes provide entertainment. Riders will find the tallest dunes on the eastern inland section. Florence is situated at the northern end of the Oregon Dunes and is the smallest riding area of the three. If you want to show off your ATV’s horsepower, check out South Jetty Hill. Most of the eastern portion of Florence has been closed due to noise complaints. To that end, a 93 dB limit is in place for all three of the Oregon Dunes riding areas.
3. St. Anthony Dunes: Idaho
Located just outside of Idaho Falls in eastern Idaho, the St. Anthony Dunes take our final podium spot for their unique white quartz sand and phenomenal summer riding opportunities. When other duning areas are too hot to ride, St. Anthony remains very bearable in the heat of the summer. With approximately 10,600 acres of sand to play in, there is ample variety. The dunes move nearly 8 feet each year and reach 200 to 300 feet tall. Like Utah’s Little Sahara, St. Anthony is situated at 5,000 feet above sea level.
Choke Cherry Hill is a nearly vertical dune and rises more than 200 feet. It takes a good run to make it to the top and truly tests your will. Another must is touring the massive Devil’s Dune bowl on the West end of the park. There are three main camping areas with two offering primitive camping. Sand Hills Resort is the best and has power and water hook-ups, but it is a long ride from the best dunning opportunities.
4. Killpecker Dunes: Wyoming
The Killpecker Sand Dunes consist of 10,500 acres of ridable area — the sand dunes area encompasses nearly 38,000 acres. ATV riders are restricted to the eastern portion, where unstable sand dunes make for fun riding. The Killpecker Dunes, located north of Rock Springs, Wy., might just be our top 10’s best-kept secret as its one of the least-visited in this list.
The peaks at Killpecker are sharp and provide good lift for jumping. Scout first because the backside of many Killpecker dunes are steep and small water puddles form throughout the area. At 8,000 feet above sea level, expect to loose about 3 hp per 1,000 feet, which makes climbing the largest dunes more challenging. Proper jetting is the key. Be on the lookout for oil pipes, as they run throughout the dunes.
5. Coral Pink Dunes: Utah
This may not be America’s top sand riding locale, but it’s certainly one of the most eye-catching duning areas in our top 10. Coral Pink’s tall hillclimbs, 6,000 feet of elevation, tree-lined bowls and miles of sand make this 3,000-acre north-to-south rectangle sand playlot one of our favorites.
Riders will find the most challenging dunes on the north end of the park where several steep razorbacks test your moxy. The northeast is where the Coral Pink dunes surprise with pine trees that invade the sand hills. In the middle and east portion of the dunes sits long hill climbs where you can open up your machine.
6. Oceano Dunes (Pismo):
As host to the annual Pismo Beach race — part of the World Off Road Championship Series — the Oceano Dunes offer an experience second-to-none on California’s central coast. Some of the best experiences involve riding down the Pismo Beach with the Pacific Ocean at your side. Watch out for the high tide that can suck in camping trailers and ATVs, creating a sticky situation.
Winds that blow in from the ocean create crests that run north and south and allow for some fun razorbacks to jump off. Watch out for slipfaces that are created from thin tongues of sand that tend to slide down on the leeward slopes. Riding conditions can get rough at Pismo’s 1,100-plus acres during weekends and peak summer riding, but the ocean views and vistas boost its ranking on our list.
7. Dumont Dunes: California
The Dumont Dunes are located about 30 miles north of Baker, Calif., and offer roughly 8,150 acres of dune riding. Dumont stretches to the east about 5 miles and is 1.5 miles long. Dumont is broken up into two main sections, Little Dumont and the main Dumont riding area where most OHV riders go.
At an elevation ranging from 700 to 1,000 feet, Dumont features a few very large and steep razorbacks to try and conquer along with many fun bowls. A lot of the action circulates around Comp Hill, a huge half-moon hill of sand that many drag racers have competed on. If you don’t like crowds, visit during the weekdays or hit up Little Dumont where smaller dunes provide plenty of entertainment. A $30 fee is required for a seven-day pass.
8. Little Sahara: Utah
Little Sahara is located in the Great Basin tucked in the Servier Desert of central Utah. At roughly 12 miles long north to south and 10 miles wide, there’s ample playing area. And, with 60,000 acres of dunes, flats and trails, there’s enough variety to warrant coming back for more.
The main feature at Little Sahara, at an elevation more than 5,000 feet, is Sand Mountain. Towering 650-plus feet high, Sand Mountain tests your machine’s power as you climb to the top. On the north end of the dunes, White Sands provides large bowls for carving and jumping. Beginners will gravitate toward Black Mountain on the southwest end for smaller dune faces and more desert terrain. If trail riding is your forte, check out Black Mountain’s expansive network of trails. For those of you who like crowds, Easter weekend is big at Little Sahara.
9. Little Sahara: Oklahoma
It may not be the largest dune riding area in this list at 1,450 acres, but its location and variety puts it in the top 10. Located near Waynoka, Okla., northwest of Oklahoma City, Little Sahara is the closest duning escape for Midwest and
East riders.
This sand palace has a little bit of everything. If you are a drag racer, don’t miss out on Sand Fest each year. There are many dune faces to climb, rolling and medium-sized hills along with miles of sandy trails. The middle of Little Sahara collects water during heavy rains and can become a soft quick sand pit. For the climbers, check out Competition or Buttercup Hill. If you get lost, don’t worry, the entire park is surrounded by a fence.
10. Silver Lake Sand Dunes: Michigan
Eeking out our 10th spot ahead of New Mexico’s Mescalero Sands and Utah’s Sand Hollow is Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan. The Silver Lake dunes are open April through the end of October from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Get here early Friday if you plan on riding over the weekend. The DNR has initiated a voucher system to allow up to 2,200 OHVs per day.
Though small in rideable area, there are many large hills to shoot up and race your buddies. With Lake Michigan to the West, many riders flat drag down the beach. The crowds are manageable thanks to the system the DNR put in place but, if you really want to experience the area without much company, arrive early in the week.
