Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Southwestern Utah


Restless winds shift giant Sahara-like sand dunes across half of this 3700-acre state park. For lovers of the strange, it's worth the 24-mile, 90-minute round-trip off Hwy 89 to see the shocking coral-colored hills.

The pinkish hue results from the eroding, red Navajo sandstone in the area. Since 1200 acres of the park are devoted to ATVs, it's not necessarily a quiet experience. The visitor center has displays and water. Follow the half-mile interpretive dune hike to the 265-acre conservation area closed to off-highway vehicles (OHV).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southwestern Utah attractions

1. Little Hollywood Land Museum

10.33 MILES

Wander through a bunkhouse, saloon and other buildings used in Western movies filmed locally, including The Outlaw Josey Wales, and learn some tricks of…

2. Moqui Cave

10.56 MILES

Five miles north of town, this tourist trap is an oddball collection of genuine dinosaur tracks, real cowboy and Native American artifacts, and other…

3. Parry Lodge

10.76 MILES

Built in the 1930s, this historic hotel was once movie central. Stars stayed here and owner Whit Parry provided horses, cattle and catering for the sets…

4. Kanab Heritage Museum

10.78 MILES

For a glimpse into the region’s popular history, this small museum is worth a stop. While the few pieces of historical memorabilia aren’t particularly…

5. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

11.6 MILES

Kanab's most famous attraction is outside town. Surrounded by more than 33,000 mostly private acres of red-rock desert 5.5 miles north of Kanab, Best…

6. Pipe Spring National Monument

11.88 MILES

A vital source of water for desert flora and fauna, the Ancestral Puebloan people, the Paiute Indians, and for the Mormons who followed them into this…

7. Maynard Dixon Living History Museum

15.34 MILES

In Mt Carmel, the Architectural Digest–noted Maynard Dixon Living History Museum is where renowned Western painter Maynard Dixon (1875–1946) lived and…