The Dunes
The road to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes is a scenic drive that provides a handy short cut to the Arizona Strip district, and hence also a route west avoiding the fees necessary to pass through Zion National Park. Driving south from US 89, the great Navajo sandstone domes of the park are clearly visible, 15 miles away on the right, while a low mesa rises on the other side; in between, the road crosses the level grasslands of
Clay Flat, followed by a shallow valley,
Yellowjacket Canyon. The dunes appear to the east after 9 miles, just beyond a (paved) side road that leads back to US 89, and several parking places provide easy access to the sands which do look quite pink at sunrise or sunset but at other times seem more traditionally colored. They always present quite an impressive scene though, shapely mounds without any vegetation, spread out beneath tall, layered cliffs to the east. Like other sandy places in the Southwest such as Utah's
Little Sahara Recreation Area and the
Algodones Dunes in California, off road vehicles are allowed to roam freely, interrupting the tranquil atmosphere and spoiling the symmetry of the dunes with their tracks. So early morning is perhaps the best time to visit, as nightly breezes tend to smooth out the dune surfaces, and the ORVs are not permitted before 9 am.