Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park encompasses 3,370 acres in Kane County in southwestern Utah, tucked between the Vermilion Cliffs and the Zion-Bryce Canyon corridor between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, one of the most scenically positioned OHV areas in the entire country, surrounded by the red-rock landscapes of the Grand Staircase Escalante country. The dunes occupy a windbreak pocket where the surrounding sandstone plateaus create a venturi effect, concentrating sand-transporting winds and building dunes that reach up to 100 feet in height. The pink-red color of the sand is the dunes' most immediately distinctive visual characteristic: iron oxide minerals in the Navajo Sandstone parent material give the sand a warm coral-pink tone that changes character significantly with sun angle, deep salmon at midday, rich orange-red at sunset. Approximately 90 percent of the park is designated open-vehicle area, making the riding zone expansive relative to the 3,370 total acres. ATVs, off-road motorcycles, and dune buggies are permitted in the designated OHV area; the park's 10% protected zone shelters riparian habitat and vegetation communities that stabilize the dune margins. A Utah OHV permit and state parks day-use fee apply. On-site camping with hookups is available at the park's developed campground. The park's position between Kanab (8 miles south) and Zion National Park (30 miles west) makes it a practical addition to a southern Utah national park road trip. Contact the park office for current conditions (435-648-2800).