Location. Location. Location.

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes are located in the South West of Utah in Kenab, Utah. Just about 30 minutes from Zion, you can definitely hit up both parks in one day if you wanted to! I say this from experience. Once my sister and I found out how close Zion was to the sand dunes we had no choice but to make a last minute stop. With just over 125,000 visitors the park doesn’t receive nearly as many visitors as some of the other parks that we’ve visited, but that doesn’t make it any less than any other park. The park spans 3,730 acres and hosts many activities for visitors year round and it’s only $10 for a day pass!

How were they formed?

The dunes were formed over years and years of erosion from Pink Navajo Sandstone rocks that can be found in areas all around the park. The dry air and high winds in the area carry sand through through the space between Moquith and Moccasin Mountains and drop them into the park. When instances like this occur it is the result of the Venturi Effect. The sand dunes are estimated to be more than 10,000 years old. The land became an official Utah State Park in 1963.

The views that can be seen at the sand dunes are great all around but the best has to be standing at the top and you can see the sand stretching miles and miles across.

Whats so special about the Coral Pink Sand Dunes?

This is the first thing I was wondering when we first visited. We ended up finding out that the Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a protected area similar to other state and national parks that preserve wild life. The wild life that is being specifically preserved in this area goes by the name of the Coral Pink Sand Dune Tiger Beetle, which is only found here in Kenab, Utah. The Tiger Beetle inhabits about 2,000 acres inside the park and 3,500 acres in total.

Of the two populations that are most commonly found they actually only occupy 500 acres. The population for this little guy remains protected because during field surveys that the Tiger Beetle has had a population size dropping as low as 600 and topping out at 3,000 from 1999 to 2015. I wasn’t lucky enough to get a picture of the Tiger Beetle, but we were able to catch a photo of some other kind of beetle. You can see a photo of the Tiger Beetle below as well as the mystery beetle.

Activities

No matter what you’re into there’s something for everyone at the dunes. Whether you’re trying to look like a model in the desert of Dubai, sand boarding, ATVing, hiking, biking, or just chilling at your camp site. They have facilities also, so you don’t have to worry about digging a hole in the dirt if you know what I mean.

At the time I wish I knew they offered sand boarding. It wasn’t until we were headed on our way to Zion that we saw a sign that said they offered sand boards for rent. They rent them to park visitors for about $25 bucks or you can bring your own if you have one.

Theres a campsite that is right off of the main road that leads to the main entrance to the sand dunes. You can also rent an ATV/UTV from Coral Pink ATV Tours where you can have a guided tour on the dunes. The tour will range in price from $50 to $180 depending on which vehicle and driving position you prefer.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Zion

Garden of the gods