Staging and the SR-7 tunnel
Stage inside Sand Hollow State Park and ride south through the tunnel under SR-7. Sand Pit Campground is the closest camping. Park fees apply.
The ground
Utah State Parks describes 15,000 acres of red sand dunes at Sand Mountain. BLM, which manages the open OHV area next to the park, calls it miles of technical trails and open riding for a spectrum of machines.
In 2017 testimony to Congress, the Interior Department described a roughly 40,000-acre Sand Mountain Special Recreation Management Area established in 1999, with about 21,000 acres designated as the open OHV area of sand dunes and slickrock.
Sources: Utah State Parks: Discover Sand Hollow, BLM: Sand Mountain Open OHV Area, U.S. Department of the Interior: S. 837 testimony, 2017. Checked September 10, 2026.
Two ways in
Waddy's Corral
BLM's developed trailhead and primary OHV access, half a mile south of the Sand Hollow Road exit on SR-7. BLM lists no fees.
Sources: Utah State Parks: Sand Pit Campground, BLM: Sand Mountain Open OHV Area. Checked September 10, 2026.
No machines in these parts of the park
- The westside beaches
- The boat parking lot
- Westside Campground
Park only in designated areas.
Source: Utah State Parks: Sand Hollow park guidelines. Checked September 10, 2026.
Flags and paperwork
The park's guidelines call for an orange whiptail flag on every OHV, and Utah law requires a red or orange whip flag in sand dune areas. Operators need a Utah education certificate, and machines from outside Utah need the $35 non-resident permit.
Sources: Utah State Parks: Sand Hollow park guidelines, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation: OHV education FAQs, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation: non-resident permits. Checked September 10, 2026.
Ride with the official map
BLM publishes a Sand Mountain Open OHV Area map. Download it before you lose signal, and use it to settle any question about where riding is allowed.
Source: BLM: Sand Mountain Open OHV Area map. Checked September 10, 2026.
Check the managing agency before you tow
This is an independent planning guide. Fees, hours, closures, fire orders and riding boundaries change. Confirm the current details with Utah State Parks and the BLM St. George Field Office.