2021-02-17 16:45:04
PLAY IN NATURE’S Sand Box About one million years ago, volcanoes spewed lava and hot ash over much of Sweetwater County. Thankfully, millennia of dormancy and wind erosion have turned the volcanic materials into thousands of acres of soft sand, piled high to create a sandy playground like no other. With the largest dunes found east of Eden, the Killpecker Sand Dunes can reach heights of over 100 feet and run for over 100 miles from west to east. Amidst the beautiful, soft dunes, the remains of ancient volcanoes and their lava flows can be seen as flat-topped buttes and spires like the 400-foot-tall Boar’s Tusk, North Table Mountain, South Table Mountain, Black Rock, Spring Butte and the Leucite Hills. Motor sport enthusiasts from across the country bring their dune buggies, dirt bikes and ATVs to tear up the 11,000 acres of designated open play space. Novice riders learn the ropes on flatter areas and smaller dunes while the experts show their skills on mammoth dunes that reach 100 feet high. When you’re not kicking up sand with motors and tires, make sure to toss a Frisbee, surf down the dunes on disks or play an unforgettable match of beach volleyball. Or hike the dunes and try to spot the herd of rare desert elk, found nowhere else in North America. Or tour the surrounding area with your binoculars and camera to capture Southwest Wyoming’s wild horses. And at the end of the day as the sun dips down, look west. It’s sure to be a sunset you won’t soon forget. These are backcountry roads with no services, so it’s a good idea to fuel up a high-clearance, AWD vehicle and travel in nice weather, preferably starting in the morning. Finally, make sure to let someone know where you are going before you venture out to the Killpecker Sand Dunes. HOW TO ACCESS IT: From Rock Springs, take US-191 about 10 miles to the north. Turn right at CR 4-18 (at the sign that reads Petroglyphs, Sand Dunes, Boar’s Tusk), and then turn left at CR 4-17. From Point of Rocks, exit I-80 and go east on the paved road past the Jim Bridger Power Plant and open-pit coal mine. Continue west as the road forks to the Natural Corrals, and then turn north over the ridge to the wildlife viewing area and the Killpecker Dune Field.
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