Conditions Right Now
Why Go
The dunes exist because of a gap. Wind squeezes through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin mountains, accelerates, lifts sand off eroding Navajo sandstone, then drops it where the valley opens and the wind slows. The iron oxide in that sandstone is where the coral color comes from. Two things to know before you go: roughly 90 percent of the dune field is open to ATVs, so quiet is not the draw, and the Coral Pink tiger beetle living in this sand is found nowhere else on earth.
Do this: Sand boarding, ATV riding, dune hiking, camping
Family note: A giant natural sandbox - rent a sand sled!
Fees and hours: stateparks.utah.gov
Build Your Day
Add to the trip: Kanab Sand Caves (Hike, 12 mi) · Canyon Overlook Trail (Hike, 16 mi) · Watchman Trail (Hike, 18 mi) · South Campground (Zion) (Camping, 18 mi)
Quick Answers
- What is there to do at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park?
- Sand boarding, ATV riding, dune hiking, camping
- Is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park good for kids?
- A giant natural sandbox - rent a sand sled!
- Why visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park?
- Because the sand is young, still moving, and pink for a reason: eroding Middle Jurassic Navajo sandstone. The dunes formed roughly 10,000 to 15,000 years ago and can shift as much as 50 feet a year. The park sits at 6,000 feet and has been open to the public since 1963.