Killpecker Sand Dunes
Play in Nature’s Sand Box
Located north of Rock Springs, Wyoming, the Killpecker Sand Dunes offer beautiful, soft dunes to explore, as well as the remains of a tumultuous geologic past in the form of 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.
Motorsport enthusiasts from across the country have made the dunes a hotspot for ATVing. Bring your dune buggy, dirt bike or ATV to traverse across 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 a sled or skis, or play an unforgettable match of beach volleyball. You can also hike the dunes and try to spot the herd of rare desert elk, found nowhere else in North America. 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.
See 5 Things You Can't Miss at Killpecker Sand Dunes >
Surf The Dunes
Enjoy the glide and surf or sled down the dunes on your very own sandboard or sled. Trade snow for sand and board down the slopes for a truly unique activity. Purchase your board or sled from the Explore Rock Springs & Green River Visitor Center and then head out for endless fun on the dunes.
History of Killpecker Sand Dunes
The Big and Little Sandy Rivers and years and years of wind erosion have created thousands of acres of soft sand, piled high to create a sandy playground like no other, now known as the Killpecker Sand Dunes.
"Singing" Sand Dunes
The Killpecker Sand Dunes are known as one of seven "singing" or "booming" sand dunes in the entire world. How does this natural wonder occur? The grains of sand in the Killpecker Sand Dunes are rounder and more polished than other dunes, and when winds pass over the dunes or a person walks on the dunes, the sand slides down the sides of the hill creating the sound of "singing." Visit the Killpecker Sand Dunes and hear this rare singing for yourself. Read more.
Click here to view a virutal tour of the Killpecker Sand Dunes & Boars Tusk!
Visitor Info
From Rock Springs, take U.S. 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.
Find more information regarding the Killpecker Dunes on their BLM page.
Disclaimer: This is a true “off the grid experience,” and cell service is limited! Make sure you have extra water, and a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle with thick tires (and a spare tire) to traverse the dirt roads. Let someone know where you are headed and when you plan to return.