Sand dune / slickrock area · Southwest Utah (St. George / Hurricane)
Sand Hollow State Park & Sand Mountain OHV Area
St. George area: Sand Hollow State Park's 15,000-acre Sand Mountain dunes beside BLM's Sand Mountain Open OHV Area.
Quick answer
This is the closest dune and sand-trail riding to St. George. Event weekends can close campgrounds and the OHV lot.
Sources disagree two or more sources give different figures; both are shownNot verified not published on the pages we read, or only in a secondary source
Key facts
| Location & counties | Washington County, near Hurricane and St. George. Park address: 1699 Sand Hollow Dr, Santa Clara. BLM trailhead: Waddy's Corral, 0.5 miles south of the Sand Hollow Road exit from Southern Parkway / SR-7 (east of St. George). [1, 2] |
|---|---|
| Managing agency | Utah State Parks (435-680-0715) for the park; BLM St. George Field Office (345 East Riverside Drive) for the Sand Mountain Open OHV Area. [1, 2] |
| Total miles | Acreage-based: the state park lists 15,000 acres of dunes at Sand Mountain. BLM says miles of technical trails and open riding are available. [3, 2] |
| Loops & main segments | BLM Sand Mountain was designated an OHV Open Area in the 1999 St. George RMP; the state park sells ride-in access through a tunnel from its OHV loop campground. [2, 3] |
| Trailheads & access towns | Waddy's Corral (BLM, primary access); state park OHV parking and OHV/ATV dedicated campground loop (22 sites) with direct tunnel access. Towns: Hurricane, St. George. [2, 3] |
| Elevation | BLM: Sand Mountain's maximum elevation is about 4,000 ft. [2] |
| Season | Not published; summer heat is severe in this part of Utah. The park lists seasonal gate hours. [3]Not verified |
| Width limits | Open area; not stated. [2]Not verified |
| Vehicle restrictions | Whip flag in dunes (Utah rule); helmets mandatory under 18. Event closures can affect campgrounds and the OHV lot (the park listed event closures on Oct 20-24 when we checked). [4, 1] |
| Permits & registration | Utah OHV rules apply (see Utah rules). Park camping rates are posted by Utah State Parks and change; BLM dispersed camping is generally limited to 14 days in a 28-day period. [5, 3, 2] |
| Fuel & lodging towns | Park campgrounds range from RV hookups to an OHV loop with dry and partial-hookup sites; cottages are available. Fuel and lodging in Hurricane and St. George (not individually verified). [3] |
| Difficulty | Mixed: dune play and technical sandstone trails; difficulty not rated by sources. [2]Not verified |
Highlights
- Ride-in tunnel access from the OHV campground to the dunes without trailering. [3]
- 360-degree views of St. George, the Hurricane Cliffs and the Pine Valley Mountains from Sand Mountain. [2]
Hazards
- Event closures and crowds on big weekends. [1]
- Desert heat: carry far more water than you expect. [6]
Maps and official pages
Always download the current MVUM or agency map; the Utah OHV maps page lists statewide map sources. Utah rules summary: Utah OHV rules. We did not build a route map: we have no sourced trail coordinates.
Machines and loads
Any registered ATV with a whip flag; light machines are easier in soft sand.
| Class in our database | Models | Front rack rating (lb) | Rear rack rating (lb) | Towing rating (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (<500cc) | 9 | 66-90 lb | 133-180 lb | 802-1350 lb |
| Mid (500-649cc) | 15 | 75-121 lb | 100-242 lb | 661-1830 lb |
| Mid-large (650-899cc) | 14 | 88-120 lb | 176-240 lb | 848-1830 lb |
| Big bore (900cc+) | 10 | 120-200 lb | 240-300 lb | 1500-1830 lb |
| 2-up touring | 23 | 44-121 lb | 77-242 lb | 772-1830 lb |
Ranges across the models in our database for each class; blank cells in a source are skipped, and some front ratings are not published. Your own machine's rating is on its model page and in the owner's manual and is the number that counts.
See the model database and how to choose. Our database lists overall width where we could find it (see the Width column; blank means unknown). A quad of 50 in or less fits the 50-inch trails. Check your owner's manual against the width limits above, and remember that wide tires, spacers and cargo count toward width.
Gear for this trip
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- Desert and sand loadout
- Overnight ATV camp loadout
- Trailside recovery and repairs
- Utah dispersed camping rules
- Recovery checklist, camping checklist, safety checklist
- Recovery gear roundup, satellite messengers & GPS
What we could not verify
- Season, widths, trail mileage, fuel stops.
Sources
- Utah State Parks: Sand Hollow State Park
- BLM: Sand Mountain Open OHV Area
- Utah State Parks: Sand Hollow camping & lodging
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws & rules
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Off-highway vehicles (program home)
- NPS: Hiking at Canyonlands (water guidance)
Last verified Oct 27, 2026 (America/Denver). Structured data: trails.json, trails.csv.
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