LITTLE SAHARA GUIDE
Riding Little Sahara
Roughly 60,000 acres of dunes, trails, and sagebrush flats, sorted into zones with very different demands.
- White Sand Dunes: start here
- Dunes southwest of Black Mountain: true beginners
- Sand Mountain: the main event
- Black Mountain trail network: dirt, not sand
- Rockwell Wilderness Study Area: no vehicles
- Non-motorized sand
- Reading the dunes
White Sand Dunes: start here
The dunes at the north end offer easy access and a variety of bowls that work for all skill levels. Gentler, more open, and more forgiving than the south end. If your group spans experience levels, this is where everyone can ride the same area without anyone being over their head.
Dunes southwest of Black Mountain: true beginners
BLM points first-time riders to the low-lying dunes southwest of Black Mountain. Less crowded, lower consequence, and a good place to learn how a machine behaves in soft sand before taking on anything steep.
Sand Mountain: the main event
Sand Mountain rises nearly 700 feet and is the reason many riders come. It is a hill-climb proving ground that tests both machine and rider, and it is unambiguously for experienced riders. It is also the landform that created the whole dune field by stalling the wind.
Black Mountain trail network: dirt, not sand
If you would rather ride trails than dunes, the network around Black Mountain offers miles of traditional OHV trail riding through rugged desert terrain. A useful change of pace on a multi-day trip, and a better option on days when high wind makes open dunes unpleasant.
Rockwell Wilderness Study Area: no vehicles
A 9,000-acre vehicle-free zone on the northwest side. No OHVs, ever. It exists for hiking, birdwatching, and photography, and it is the quiet counterweight to the rest of the recreation area.
Non-motorized sand
Fat biking, sandboarding, and sand skiing are all established here. Wide tires float on soft sand where a regular mountain bike sinks, and Sand Mountain's slopes are the sandboarding draw. BLM notes these are safest in less crowded dune areas or Rockwell's quiet zones.
Reading the dunes
Sand at Little Sahara is quartz and it moves. The dunes migrate five to nine feet a year, and the wind reshapes surfaces within a single day. Scout before you jump: many injuries happen when riders fly over a drop-off they never saw. Always check the backside of a dune before cresting.
BLM Little Sahara Recreation Area · Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation
435-433-5960 · BLM Fillmore Field Office