Oregon Dunes-Coos Bay, Oregon
The largest riding area in all of Oregon's dunes is right here. From riding on the beach to finding sand trails that lead you through heavily wooded meadows, there's no shortage of places to explore. With more mild terrain than its neighbor, Winchester Bay, there are still challenging climbs strewn throughout the vast coastal landscape.
Drive up and stay in one of the nearby motels or stay in some of the many campgrounds that outline the sand dunes. Many accommodations are within a 10-minute drive of this dune area in the logging town of North Bend.
As with all of Oregon's riding areas, sound laws are very strict here so make sure you're legal.
Syracuse Sand Dune Park-Syracuse, Kansas
This 1300-acre park just opened last year, bringing sand dune action to this western Kansas town. Community leaders backed the project and hope that ATV riders will spend money while they visit Syracuse. Now that's the kind of attitude toward off-roading that we'd like more government officials to have! In addition to the dunes, there's a 40-acre fishing pond for the entire family. This area is working hard to continuously improve and expand, so check it out! For $5 a day, you can't go wrong.
On the web: http://www.syracusesanddunes.com
Sand Mountain-Fallon, Nevada
On any holiday weekend, you can find a large amount of ATVers enjoying Sand Mountain. East of Reno, Nevada, near the town of Fallon, Sand Mountain encompasses almost 4800 acres of the Silver State's finest duning. An active group of riders, known as Friends of Sand Mountain, aggressively defend the area from irresponsible riders and overzealous environmentalists. For a bit of history during your visit, check out the historic 1860 Pony Express station.
On the web:
http://www.nv.blm.gov/carson/Recreation/Rec_SandMtn.htm;
http://www.sandmountain-nv.org
Little Sahara State Park-Waynoka, Oklahoma
"Ohhhhhhhhh-k-la-homa, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains!" The dunes at Little Sahara aren't as big as the ones you'll find elsewhere, but they're some of the best in the Midwest and still lots of fun. It's a popular ride spot, with crowds in the thousands on nice weekends. Little Sahara State Park is located in Northwest Oklahoma, south of Waynoka. It offers over 1600 acres of ridable sand dunes ranging in height from 25 to 75 feet.
On the web:
http://www.waynoka.com/littlesahara/cgi-bin/index.cgi
Little Sahara Recreation Area-Eureka, Utah
Plenty of opportunity for fun awaits you in Little Sahara Recreation Area. Whether it's trails or dunes, you'll find it in this 60,000-acre playground. If you want to flaunt your hillclimbing skills, you'll find Sand Mountain (nearly 700 feet tall) to be a worthy challenge. For superb trail riding, check out the extensive trail system near Black Mountain. After visiting Little Sahara, you'll understand why ATV use in Utah has exploded within the past decade.
On the web:
http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/little_sahara.htm
Oregon Dunes-Florence, Oregon
More challenging than Coos Bay but not as exciting as Winchester Bay is the only way to describe this Oregon dune area. If roosting around twisty trails is your forte, than this place is for you. With few good dune climbs, like Competition Hill, this is a small portion of what Oregon has to offer. The most interesting attraction of this particular location are the tree islands. Go from the flats and follow the trails that send you through the remains of forests where the sands have not taken over.
Want to see who's the fastest on the beach? Then head over to the west side of the dunes to the Drag Strip. Here's where the sand is moist and the motors are powerful and riders race side-by-side to determine who's King of the Beach.
Camping is available at various private campgrounds, so feel free to pack up the trailer and head on out. Just make sure that everything is turned off by 10 p.m. to meet the noise curfew.
On the web: http://www.florenceoregon.net/recreation.htm