coral pink sand dunes sandboarding

Coral Pink Sand Dunes Sandboarding Adventure for Under $30

Coral Pink Sand Dunes sandboarding is definitely something you’ll want to add to your Utah Bucket List. Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a Utah State Park located near Kanab and just 30 minutes from the East entrance of Zion National Park. I first discovered this place several years ago in the Before Kids Era. Brittany and I were recently married and on the way home from Lake Powell one year, we spontaneously decided to take a detour to check out the sand dunes. We had a blast just racing up and down the dunes and jumping around like little kids.

Now that we have kids of our own, including a boy who is especially obsessed with sand, we’ve been wanting to go back for a while. We heard you could rent sandboards (yeah, sandboarding is a thing!), so we decided to give it a shot. Between the $10 per vehicle state park fee and $20 to rent a board from the visitor center, it’s as affordable an adventure as you can find.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes Sandboarding

Unless you bring your own board, head straight to the visitor center and rent one. Plan ahead for a board because they sell out quickly, especially on weekends and holidays. But if they’re sold out, just be patient and keep an eye out for people returning theirs to the visitor center. We got lucky that someone came back with one right as we got to the visitor center.

coral pink sand dunes sandboarding

Sandboarding felt like floating on top of the desert – seriously such a good time. The kids had a blast and surprisingly were able to fly down to the bottom of the steep sand hill with ease. Even I had a good time, despite falling… a lot. I’m a skier so board sports are not really in my wheelhouse.


Check out the Instagram Reel of us all trying sandboarding for the first time.

coral pink sand dunes sandboarding


We also grabbed some $2 sand toys from the grocery store in Kanab. Hours of entertainment. I loved watching Baby B do sand yoga and the kids laugh while they dug holes and found sand beetles.

Coral Pink Dunes sandboarding tips:

  • It gets windy at the top of the dune and sand blasting kids in the face is not fun. Go down into the dune for sand play so the hill is blocking you.
  • The walk is far from the lot to the dunes especially with small kids so if you have a collapsible wagon, bring that to carry things in. The wagon is such a lifesaver! We bring it on all our roadtrips and always comes in handy in unexpected ways.
  • There is no shade! If you plan to stay a while, bring a shade canopy and a cooler full of water.

We stuck to sandboarding this time, but when the kids are a bit older we plan to go back and rent a UTV or take a tour. For now, those adventures are still on our bucket list for next time! Make sure to download your free copy to get ideas for your next adventure.

This state park is only 30 minutes from the East entrance of Zion National Park, so make sure to check out these ideas of things to do in Utah national parks. If you’re heading to the West entrance of Zion, be sure to check out things to do in St. George Utah.


🤘🏻

-JJ

Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free printable The Ultimate Family-Friendly Utah Bucket List with the top 100 things to do in Utah, both kid-friendly and more adventurous.