On our journey, we slid down sand dunes in places we didn’t expect to find sand, much less dunes. From about 130 million years ago until about 23 million years ago, North America was covered by a shallow inland sea.
image courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Interior_Seaway
This inland sea created layered sandstone formations and sandy places – places that make for great playgrounds.
Our first foray onto an inland sand dune was in Idaho at Bruneau Dunes State Park. We have dubbed Idaho as “the most unexpectedly fun state.” You’ll have to read my other blog posts (coming Spring 2022) to find out the just how fun and beautiful wild Idaho is.
When you fall in the sand, it’s not hard and it’s not cold like snow is. Sandboarding can be a bit dangerous, just as any sport. The kind of board, the grade of the hill, the composition of the sand, and the type of sand determine how fast you go.
Most places we sandboarded, other than Bruneau in Idaho and Great Sand Dunes National Park in southwestern Colorado, offered plastic boards or sleds. Keith may have suffered a concussion in Great Sand Dunes National Park, getting really bonked on the head with a heavy wooden board that we rented. So, at the age of 63, I think his sandboarding, at least with heavy, wooden sandboards, should be over.
Gear: Also consider wearing a bandana for your mouth and nose and sunglasses or goggles to help keep sand out of most of your orifices.
Bruneau Sands State Park – Bruneau, Idaho
In October, 2018 Keith, Rocky, our nearly 15 year old border collie mix, and I climbed a 200 foot sand dune and used a sand board to slide down the dune. We rented 2 stand-on boards for $25.00 from the Visitor Center in the park. We also rented boards to sit on. Sliding and boarding down Bruneau dunes was our first experience, and such a joy. Rocky happily made it to the top quickly, wondering why I was so far down the hill and taking so long. It was beautiful in the autumn afternoon, and we nearly had the park to ourselves. Of course, many places in Idaho offer “had the place to ourselves” solitude, but being from the east coast, this was a unique experience for us. If you drive further in to the park, you’ll find a 400 foot dune. Location: An hour south of Boise, 1.5 hours northwest from Twin Falls, ID at 27608 Bruneau Sand Dunes Rd, Bruneau, ID 83604.
Monahan Sandhills State Park in Texas
exit 86 off of I-20. The boards are plastic and more like snow sleds, with lots of hills to explore and sled on, and of course, in January of 2021, few people and lots of space.
Very family friendly with a campground and places to picnic, but picnicking on the sand dunes is a good way to enjoy the sand, too. People bring blankets and picnic baskets. In January of 2021, the sled rentals were only $6.
Great White Sands National Park – 15 miles Southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico
Gorgeous white sand made of gypsum. You can rent plastic saucers at the visitor center as you enter the park. Ask the ranger for the best place to sled, because some hills are faster than others.
Sometimes it’s more fun to run down the sand dunes.
If you want to see how incredibly beautiful this place is, follow Craig Varjabedian on Instagram or check out his website.
Also, be aware this National Park is near a military missile testing area (no lie), so there may be closures due to military actions or weather. Check the Great White Sands National Park Service for closures. 19955 Hwy 70 W, Alamogordo, NM About 1.5 hours from El Paso.
Great Sand Dunes National Park – Duncan, Colorado
Lots of huge sand dunes, some are up to 755 feet tall. We were just too tired to hike them, so we just sledded on the first dunes we found with sand-sleds we rented outside the National Park at Kristi Mountain Sports. This outfitter offers reservations of boards ahead of time, and they ask that you call to make the reservations, (719) 589-9759. Also note, that in summer the dunes can be hot, so be prepared with footwear, such as sandals or sneakers. Follow their advice on where to sled, so that you don’t end up sledding onto small rocks.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – Near Kanab, Utah
This is an incredibly scenic park, with orange-hued sand. Yup, you can rent sleds from the Visitor Center. As with many state parks, a day use fee applies. Find this park 22 miles west of Kanab on Sand Dunes Road. Mixed use for ATVs and sand boarding increases the fun, and there’s plenty of separation and space for both activities safely. The sledding was a slow go in certain spots, so I’d recommend ATVing here. Also, the elevation made it really tough to climb to the top. Latitude 37°2’5″N , Longitude 112°43’59″W