Hidden America — Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

A few days ago I posted about Great Sand Dunes National Park, a little-known treasure of the National Park system in southern Colorado.  If Great Sand Dunes is known to few, then Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southwestern Utah is known to almost no one.

The dunes at Great Stand Dunes are much higher than the ones at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, but the at the latter the sand is a brilliant salmony pinkish-orange color.  This park is not far from Bryce Canyon National Park with its famous eroded red rock formations, but here the erosion is already complete.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a convenient stop if you're traveling between the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the Bryce / Zion / Escalante area.  There's a campground at the park.  The nearest town is Kanab, Utah. 

I've been there twice.   One time we had the place to ourselves, the other time there were two other cars there.  At one end of the dunes is an area in which off-road vehicles are allowed, but as long as you stay out of that area you're likely to have the place to yourself.

Hidden America — Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes is one of America's least known National Parks.  It contains the highest sand dunes anywhere in North America. It takes about an hour to hike to the first high point in the dunes (700 feet above the base, which is already at an elevation of 8,000 feet) and from there, if you want, you can hike for miles into the dune field.

The park isn't really convenient to anywhere, but the closest town is Alamosa, Colorado.  The campground in the park rarely fills up and there are ranger programs most nights.

In addition to a half day spent on the dunes, the park encompasses some prime Sangre de Christo range wilderness areas.

I've been to Great Sand Dunes three or four times over the years.  I never get tired of it.