Coral Pink Sand Dunes Campground
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Coral Pink Sand
Dunes
Camping
The campground at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a nice 22-unit setup with pull-through parking. The campground is equipped with modern toilets and hot showers which are wonderful after a day on the sand. There are 5 picnic sites with barbecue grills and tables. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling toll free:
1-800-322-3770 from 8 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday. Ponderosa Grove Campground has 7 individual sites and 2 group sites. They have picnic tables and fire rings and there are vault toilets. There is no water at this campground. It is located just outside the park. Primitive Camping is available at Dry Lake Bed and Sand Spring.
Lodging & RV Parks
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Bouncing, Creeping and Blowing Sand
It's moving. Yes, the sand. While you are at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, go and stand on a dune - which is just a big pile of sand. If you stand on the windy side of the dune you will feel the gritty blasting of grains of sand hitting your lower legs. This is the sand being bounced around by the wind just above the surface - it's called
saltation. Once you move over to the side of the dune where there is no wind, your are safe. Of course, it is the wind that is picking the sand up and moving it. Just as it did with the entire dune you are standing on. A sand grain can move in three ways: saltation, creeping and suspension, all but about 5% of the movement is by saltation and about 4% of that is by creeping. So what is creeping sand? This is when a grain of sand collides with other grains of sand. Sort of like bumper cars. The last 1% of sand movement is due to suspension. Suspension occurs when sand is blown high into the air. |
Trails to Pictographs
Moquith Mountain, located near the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, offers a couple of outstanding hikes that those visiting the dunes will want to do. It takes a four wheel drive to get out to either of the trailheads, but once there the hikes are fairly easy. Helldive Canyon Pictographs and Southfork Canyon Pictograph Trails both lead to great rock art. The baby foot prints on the roof of the Helldive Alcove are a favorite.
Detailed Hiking Guide |
Southern Utah Vacation: Canyon Country
The Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is located southeast of Zion National Park between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab.
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 Nature Notes
The Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park offers a Junior Ranger Program for kids ages six to twelve. Sign up at the park ranger station. If you have a child that is younger than 6, the park ranger will gladly give them some coloring sheets to do while older kids complete their tasks. While there be sure to take kids into the ranger station to see the display of sand from all over the world.
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