Snow Canyon Sand Dunes
Snow Canyon Sand Dunes Overview
The Snow Canyon Sand Dunes offer an easy, family-friendly place to explore the park’s deep red sand. Beginning at the Sand Dunes Picnic Area, the mapped 0.5-mile round-trip route crosses shifting sand surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and desert sagebrush.
Unlike most park trails, visitors may wander freely across the dunes rather than stay on the mapped route. The open sand makes this a popular place to walk, play, relax, photograph the landscape, or enjoy a picnic. Expect deep sand, exposed slopes, and very little shade; bring water and avoid the hottest part of the day.
Location Details
- Restroom Facilities
- Water Fountains
- Picnic Tables
Location Photos
More About Snow Canyon Sand Dunes
The Snow Canyon Sand Dunes sit beside the Sand Dunes Picnic Area along Snow Canyon Drive. A short 0.5-mile round-trip route crosses the dune field from one edge to the other. The sand also tells a story millions of years in the making. The Navajo Sandstone that forms Snow Canyon’s cliffs began as a vast sea of wind-blown dunes roughly 180 to 190 million years ago, and its red color comes from iron oxide that coats the sand grains, much like rust. Today wind and water slowly wear those cliffs down, and loose sand gathers once again on the canyon floor. The dunes are a living link to the ancient desert that shaped Snow Canyon, their ripples and slopes always shifting with the wind.
The dunes are one of the few places in Snow Canyon State Park where you may leave the mapped route and wander freely across the sand. Kids love climbing to the top and running down the slopes. Early morning and evening bring soft light for photographers, along with wind-sculpted ripples and the tiny tracks of lizards, beetles and other desert wildlife. With tables, restrooms and water fountains at the picnic area, it’s an easy place to spend an hour or an afternoon. The sand is deep, shade is limited, and the surface can get very hot in summer, so bring plenty of water, sunscreen and sturdy shoes. Leashed dogs are welcome on the dunes (6-foot maximum leash), and all pet waste must be picked up. Once you leave the dune field, stay on the park’s mapped trails. The paved Whiptail Trail connects at the western edge of the dunes, and West Canyon Road begins at the iron gate at the north end of the picnic area. Nearby Jenny’s Canyon makes an easy add-on for a longer outing.
You can see the Sand Dunes on our illustrated Snow Canyon map
