Earlier this summer, we went to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Southern Utah. It was close to home, not very busy, and we could actually get a campsite! We had a fun weekend there and it is definitely a place you will want to visit.

How to Get to Coral Pink Sand Dunes:

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is located in Southern Utah right outside of Kanab. If you’re coming from Northern Utah, go South on I-15 and take exit 95 to UT-20 E. From there you will take US-89 S to Co Rd 43 in Kane County. If you’re coming from Kanab, you will go North on US-89 then turn left onto Hancock Road.

What You Can Do at Coral Pink Sand Dunes:

At the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, there are a few things you can do. If you’re going just for the day, you can ride ATVs across the dunes. You can rent sand boards and sand sleds from the visitor center and go down the sand dunes. And you can also go hiking. There aren’t any marked trails though. Hiking basically consists of walking through the sand wherever you want to go. If you want to spend more than a day there, there are camp sites and RV sites you can reserve for $25-$35 per night.

We camped for two nights at Coral Pink Sand Dunes. We got there on a Friday night, played on Saturday and drove home Sunday morning. On our main day at the park, we rented a sand board and a sand sled and took turns with my brother and his wife going down the dunes. We spent some of our time in Kanab where we got lunch and went to the museum in town. Then we rested at our campsite and went back to the dunes later that evening. We had a lot of fun but be prepared to have sand EVERYWHERE when you get home. Our car was covered in sand, our ears were covered in sand, everything we took had sand it in for weeks. But we had a great time!

Tips For Visiting the Coral Pink Sand Dunes:

• Make sure you pack sunscreen! It is super sunny in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes without a lot of shade, so you will definitely get burned if you don’t have sunscreen. I would also strongly suggest sunglasses and a hat too.
• Bring some sand toys for the kids. Lucy loved digging with her shovel and collapsible bucket.
• If you have young toddlers and babies, consider bringing a hiking backpack for them as you are walking to where you want to set up for the day. It is a lot easier to carry them in a backpack while you’re hiking through sand than to try to hold their hand, have them walk and have you carry your supplies for the day.
• Pack drinks. It can get super dusty and sandy while you’re at the dunes which makes you extra thirst.
• If you’re going to be playing in the sand (or your kids are) try to head out earlier in the day. The later it gets, the hotter the sand is and it is harder to play and have fun.
• If you’re camping, be prepared for a lot of wind. Our first night camping was super windy and Ben had to keep getting up to re-secure our guide-wires on our tent and gather things from our site that were blowing around.