The Best Sandboarding & Sand Sledding Spots in the United States

1. Oregon Coast and Florence, The “Sandboard Capital” of the World

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is one of the main attractions near Florence, and it’s the perfect spot for sandboarding. The dunes, which can reach heights of up to 500 feet, offer a wide variety of activities, from hiking and camping to ATV and RV rides, and of course, sand surfing. The dunes are the largest coastal sand dunes in North America, and they’re so impressive they inspired Herbert’s epic science fiction novel Dune, which has recently received a major film adaptation.

2. Great Sand Dunes, Colorado: The Tallest Dunes in North America

The Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in Colorado offers some of the tallest dunes in North America. It’s a great place for sandboarding, sand sledding and sand skiing, but you will need to bring your own equipment.

You can buy a sandboard online (150-250$) or rent one in a city nearby (20$ per day) The nearest town is Mosca.

3. Kelso Dunes, California: Steep Slopes and Cheap Thrills

The Kelso Dunes, also known as the Kelso Dune Field, is the largest sand dunes area in the Mojave Desert and the third largest in the United States, occupying a total of 45 square miles.

Located south of Baker, California, Kelso Dunes is a protected area of the Mojave National Preserve, a scenic area inaccessible to off-road vehicles. These are so-called “singing dunes”, which may appear to emit sounds under specific environmental conditions.

4. White Sands, New Mexico: Ideal for Beginners and Kids with Sand Sledding

The white sands of New Mexico are stunning white dunes that get their color from a mineral called gypsum and make for one of the most beautiful places where you can go sandboarding.

The White Sands National Park (formerly known as the White Sands National Monument) is part of the Chihuahuan desert and easily reachable from Texas as well.

Sand sledding is a very popular activity amongst adults and children and you can rent a plastic disc sled directly at the park. The nearest town is El Paso.

5. Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah: a Unique Landscape

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park of Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south of U.S. Highway 89 in southwestern Utah.

The park features coral-hued sand dunes located beside pink and white sandstone cliffs. It is popular for off-road vehicle use, hiking, photography, and sandboarding. The nearest town is Kanab.

6. Jockey’s Ridge State Park, North Carolina: Largest Coastal Sand Dunes in the Atlantic

You can sandboard on the largest sand dunes on the East Coast at the Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, one of the main sand surfing destinations in the USA.

The park is open all year round and it is also a fantastic place for sandboarding, flying a kite, or simply watching the sunset in the desert-like landscape of Outer Banks.