Finding the Sahara Desert in Utah

If you ever travel to southern Utah - you must take a trip to Kanab, UT to visit the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. It is one of the most amazing sights you will see.

This Poster explains why these dunes are here and why they are pink - double click on it to read - but short version is this: Sand, Wind and Cliffs are the main reason that they are here.
Pink Sand: enough sand to cover 6 states was covered with ocean which added iron oxide and sat for 170 million years - the sand turned a nice rosy color sandstone which once exposed to the elements it eroded into coral colored grains.
Cliffs: the trough in the sandstone was caused by breaking and pulling the cliffs apart - there is a 300 mile-ling fault here. The cliffs funnel and catch sand for 12 million years.





As sand accumulates - strong southerly winds blow sand into the troughs and then winds from other directions whip the loose sand into a variety of dune shapes. These shapes change daily as the winds blow through this area. So each time you come you have totally different views and sunset dunes glow with the warm setting sun.




Walking with shoes is very difficult, and the sand is so smooth and soft that I just kicked off my shoes to climb the dunes and walk around to take photos...








ATV adventuring is one of the most popular things to do here in the dunes. The park is very strict about regulations, equipment and safety gear however for all those who do venture out to 'ride the dunes'.
There are 1000 acres of play area here for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts.







We watched these kids soaring over the dunes for awhile as they raced and played.









This Jeep was among many all wheel vehicles playing and driving in the sand dunes.










Hollywood made many movies in Kane County - and they thought that these sand dunes resembled Egypt - so it was selected as location for filming 'The Greatest Story Ever Told'.





















This information board is at the entrance of where we climbed into the dunes - it explains about the very rare little creature that lives here in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park - double click on it to enlarge it for better reading -











Here is a photo of the very rare Tiger Beetle - The adult beetle is only seen between April and June when it lives long enough to lay its eggs (2 weeks). And the Sand Dunes here in Utah is the only place in the world where this beetle lives.















Depending on the way the wind blows - the landscape changes daily as the sand re-sculpts itself.






















Grass grows here in the dunes as the sea grass grows in the beach sand back in New England.





On our way out - we left a message for the next visitors to the Sand Dunes.









Until our next trip to the 'desert' - we took one last photo and said goodbye to the Coral Pink
Sand Dunes State Park in Kanab, Utah. We hope to have time to come back at sunset to shoot again and to see what the dunes look like in the glow of the warm setting sun.