"LittleSahara01" by Bureau of Land Management - Utah , public domain
Little Sahara
Recreation Area - Utah
These rolling dunes are comprised of 60,000 acres of free-moving sand dunes, sagebrush flats, and juniper-covered hills. The dunes are an ideal dune-buggy playground, while the sagebrush flats and surrounding mountains are a challenge for motorcycles and 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Ride freely across sand dunes, unending trails, and enjoy a 700-foot mountain of sand. Come and enjoy the unusual white sand while playing, sun bathing and castle building. Close your day by relaxing to a sage tinted sunset. Enjoy the most beautiful sunsets you'll see anywhere.
Campgrounds can be found at Jericho, Sand Mountain, Oasis, and White Sands. Group and dispersed camping is available at Sand Mountain.
Map of the Pony Express Trail National Backcountry Byway (BCBW) in the BLM Salt Lake Field Office area in Utah. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of Allotments and Pastures of Fillmore Ranger District Oak Creek Mountains in Fishlake National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) of Spanish Fork Ranger District (Back) of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (NF) in Utah and Wyoming. Published by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Travel Map (MVTM) of Fillmore Ranger District (North) in Fishlake National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Travel Map of Sevier County, Piute County, Sanpete County, Wayne County West in Utah in the BLM Richfield Field Office area. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Little Sahara Recreation Area
https://www.blm.gov/visit/little-sahara-recreation-area
These rolling dunes are comprised of 60,000 acres of free-moving sand dunes, sagebrush flats, and juniper-covered hills. The dunes are an ideal dune-buggy playground, while the sagebrush flats and surrounding mountains are a challenge for motorcycles and 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Ride freely across sand dunes, unending trails, and enjoy a 700-foot mountain of sand. Come and enjoy the unusual white sand while playing, sun bathing and castle building. Close your day by relaxing to a sage tinted sunset. Enjoy the most beautiful sunsets you'll see anywhere.
Campgrounds can be found at Jericho, Sand Mountain, Oasis, and White Sands. Group and dispersed camping is available at Sand Mountain.
BLM
Info at a Glance
Fees
There is a day use fee which includes
use of campgrounds. An annual permit is also available. Please pay at the
self-registration station located on the
entrance road when the visitor center is
closed. Visit our website for current fee
information: www.ut.blm.gov
Water
Drinking water is available year-round
at the Willard R. Fullmer Visitor Center
and in campgrounds during frost-free
months.
Visitor Center
Canyonlands Natural History Association Located just inside the visi-
tor center, Canyonlands Natuaral History Association offers a wide variety of
items including everything from books
to lip-balm.
You are the proud owner of 60,000 acres
of sagebrush flats, Juniper covered hills
and free moving sand dunes?
Ride freely across sand dunes, unending
trails, and enjoy a 700-foot mountain of
sand.
Come and enjoy the unusual white sand
while playing, sun bathing and castle
building.
Close your day by relaxing to a sage
tinted sunset. Enjoy the most beautiful
sunsets you’ll see anywhere.
Discover Little Sahara...
Fillmore Field Office
The visitor center is open year-round
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed on
Tuesdays. The visitor center telephone
number is (435) 433-5960. Weather
information (435) 433-5961.
Did You Know?
Willard R. Fullmer Visitor Center
Gasoline and Groceries
Services are available in neighboring
communities of Nephi, Delta, Eureka
and Lynndyl.
The Land...
Kit Fox
A Sandy Reminder of Ancient
Lake Bonneville
The Kit Fox eats small
mammals (primarily
rabbits and mice), small
birds, invertebrates and
plants. It is primarily nocturnal, but may be found
outside of its den during
the day.
Antelope Ground
Squirrel
How to Get There
A plentiful sand source and strong prevailing
winds have combined to create Little Sahara, one
of the largest dune fields found in Utah. Most of
the sand at Little Sahara is the result of deposits
left by the Sevier River, which once flowed into
ancient Lake Bonneville some 15,000 years ago.
After the lake receded, the southwesterly winds
that flow across the Sevier Desert picked up the
exposed sand. Sand Mountain, in the middle of
the dune field, deflected the wind upward, causing
it to slow and drop its load of sand. Sand particles,
composed mostly of quartz, fell downwind among
the sagebrush and Juniper around Sand Mountain
ultimately creating a 124 square-mile system of
giant, free-moving sand dunes.
RockwellWhen It’s Time to Relax
and Hike a Hill
From Nephi
(West): 28 miles
via SR 132 and
Juab County
Route 1812.
From Eureka
(South): 23 miles
on US 6.
From Delta
(North): 38 miles
on US 6.
Little Sahara is approximately 115 miles from
Salt Lake City via Nephi.
The entrance road to Little Sahara is
4 miles west of the Jericho Juntion.
You can experience the quiet side of Little Sahara
at the Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area. Set
aside as a vehicle-free zone, this 9,000-acre unit is
a miniature version of the larger surrounding desert ecosystem. Rockwell’s sand dunes, scattered
Junipers, and sagebrush flats provide habitat for a
diverse array of plants and animals. Mule deer and
antelope, 15 species of birds, the Desert Whipsnake, and 8 other species of reptiles live here.
Stands of Utah Juniper, sagebrush, grasses typical
to the Great Basin, and an extremely rare variety
of saltbush dot the landscape.
Preserve the natural beauty and enhance the hiking, birding
and other muscle-powered recreational opportunities found
in Rockwell by keeping motor vehicles outside the boundaries of the natural area.
Unique Plants
Little Sahara Recreation
Area is home to the Neese
narrowleaf penstemon
(Penstemon
angustifolia
variety dulcis).
The aeolian
sands provides
a wonderful
home for this
May and June flowering
plant.
Neese narrowleaf penstemon
Sand Sanctuary for Good Ol’
Atriplex canescens var. gigantea
Atriplex canescens var. gigantea
Atriplex canescens variety gigantea, also
known as “Giant four-wing saltbush”, is a
unique plant species. The dune fields of Little
Sahara are the only place in the world where
this particular variety of saltbush grows naturally. Special adaptations, such as rapid root
growth, huge size, and the ability of stems to
develop roots, enable the giant four-wing saltbush to survive in Little Sahara’s harsh environment of shifting sand.
Please help protect these extremely rare inhabitants of
Little Sahara. Avoid running over these plants or their
roots and do not break off branches for firewood.
The Experience...
Little Sahara is not just one type of riding. With nearly 60,000 acres of
dunes, trails and sagebrush flats, you’ve got choices . . . plenty of them.
What’s your pleasure?
May We Suggest . . .
Sand Mountain: A wall
of sand climbing nearly 700
feet high provides the ultimate challenge to rider and
machine. This is the prime
focal point for hill climbing.
White Sand Dunes: Easy
access to dunes and plentiful
riding bowls attract riders of
all abilities to this spot on the
north end of the recreation
area.