Off-Roading At Sand Hollow State Park, Utah
Talk about a good time. We had such a good time at Sand Hollow State Park. It’s a paradise for off-road enthusiasts, (Which we aren’t claiming to be) but still love it there. It’s just outside of St George, Utah, and has over 15,000 acres of dunes and trails waiting to be ridden. It has a huge variety of terrain from sandy beaches to slick rock climbs. We saw all kinds of Off-road vehicles like ATVs, UTVs, Dune Buggies, and dirt bikes. Sadly, we did get the opportunity on this trip but you can even camp out there or just have a good ole sandy picnic.
We kinda got lucky and were able to explore these amazing sand dunes on UTVs/Dune Buggies (Whatever you want to call them) that my family owns, but there is also plenty of places to rent UTVs, dirt bikes, and Side-by-sides near Sand Hollow State Park. If your circumstances allow I would highly recommend taking the time to explore the sand dunes. Utah also makes it really easy for out-of-staters to legally drive Off-Highway vehicles. Starting January 1 of 2023 Utah requires all OHV operators to complete the free Utah Off-Highway Vehicle Education Course. Even young ones under the age of 18 can take the youth course and get certified. It only takes about 30 minutes and it’s almost insultingly easy. If you are bringing your own UTV and don’t live in Utah make sure to purchase the non-resident OHV permit for each machine.
What to bring:
Helmets and goggles are recommended for all riders.
A red or orange flag that is a minimum of 6 by 12 inches must be attached to OHVs driven on sand dunes
Gloves are recommended especially for the driver
Boots
Long sleeves
Pants
A Buff
Extras:
Extra Fuel
Emergency kit
Water
Snacks/Lunch
Our recommendation is to start your journey through the Sand Dunes as early as you can, there are a lot of trails, we explored the Sand Dunes pretty much all weekend and didn’t get close to seeing half of it.
We aren’t crazy familiar with UTVs or the whole Off-Road scene but we can recommend the experience. You feel like you're racing in a video game out there. Which some people take a bit too far. Two people in our group actually ended up flipping their machines. Scary to watch happen but everyone responded super fast and all ran over to make sure they were all good. They were. These machines are fully equipped for those kinds of rollovers, with burly roll cages, 4-point seat belts, and helmets for all, we all stayed safe and no one got hurt. That being said drive safe out there and don’t go too crazy.
Here are some photos from our trip out there. Hope you guys enjoy it if you end up going.
