Sand dune area · West-central Utah
Little Sahara Recreation Area
BLM dune riding at Sand Mountain, White Sand Dunes and the Black Mountain trails; four campgrounds and a visitor center.
Quick answer
A fee area with four BLM campgrounds. Whip flags are required in the dunes.
Sources disagree two or more sources give different figures; both are shownNot verified not published on the pages we read, or only in a secondary source
Key facts
| Location & counties | Near Eureka and Jericho Junction; entrance 4 miles west of Jericho Junction, about 115 miles from Salt Lake City via Nephi. County: Juab (our note; the BLM page we read does not name it). [1] |
|---|---|
| Managing agency | BLM Fillmore Field Office. Visitor Center: 27020 W Sand Mountain Road, Eureka; 435-433-5960. [1] |
| Total miles | Not a mileage-based system. Acreage figures (62,000 total / 23,000 dune acres) appeared only in a search summary and are not verified. [1]Not verified |
| Loops & main segments | Sand Mountain rises nearly 700 ft; Black Mountain trail network; White Sand Dunes area. [1] |
| Trailheads & access towns | Eureka, Jericho Junction, Nephi. Four campgrounds: Oasis, Jericho, White Sands and Sand Mountain, plus dispersed camping outside developed campgrounds. [1] |
| Elevation | Not published on the BLM page. [1]Not verified |
| Season | Not published on the BLM page. [1]Not verified |
| Width limits | Not published. [1]Not verified |
| Vehicle restrictions | A red or orange whip flag standing at least 8 ft above level ground is required. Helmets required for riders under 18. Ride sober. Rockwell Wilderness Study Area (9,000 acres) is vehicle-free, and the sand play areas near White Sands and Jericho are motor-free. [2, 1] |
| Permits & registration | Utah OHV rules apply (see Utah rules). Use fee listed by BLM: $18 per vehicle per night, $120 annual pass, $60 for seniors and people with disabilities (confirm current fees); camping is included and first-come-first-served, no reservations. [1, 3, 4, 5] |
| Fuel & lodging towns | Not individually verified; cell service is limited. Fuel up before the entrance. [1]Not verified |
| Difficulty | Sand riding; injuries often come from jumping unseen drop-offs; scout the backside of dunes before cresting. [2] |
Highlights
- Open dune play with Sand Mountain nearly 700 ft high; Easter weekend and holiday weekends are very busy (see credited photo). [1]
Hazards
Maps and official pages
Always download the current MVUM or agency map; the Utah OHV maps page lists statewide map sources. Utah rules summary: Utah OHV rules. We did not build a route map: we have no sourced trail coordinates.
Machines and loads
Any ATV with a whip flag; sand paddles are not required. Light machines are easier to recover from soft sand.
| Class in our database | Models | Front rack rating (lb) | Rear rack rating (lb) | Towing rating (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (<500cc) | 9 | 66-90 lb | 133-180 lb | 802-1350 lb |
| Mid (500-649cc) | 15 | 75-121 lb | 100-242 lb | 661-1830 lb |
| Mid-large (650-899cc) | 14 | 88-120 lb | 176-240 lb | 848-1830 lb |
| Big bore (900cc+) | 10 | 120-200 lb | 240-300 lb | 1500-1830 lb |
| 2-up touring | 23 | 44-121 lb | 77-242 lb | 772-1830 lb |
Ranges across the models in our database for each class; blank cells in a source are skipped, and some front ratings are not published. Your own machine's rating is on its model page and in the owner's manual and is the number that counts.
See the model database and how to choose. Our database lists overall width where we could find it (see the Width column; blank means unknown). A quad of 50 in or less fits the 50-inch trails. Check your owner's manual against the width limits above, and remember that wide tires, spacers and cargo count toward width.
Gear for this trip
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- Desert and sand loadout
- Overnight ATV camp loadout
- Trailside recovery and repairs
- Utah dispersed camping rules
- Recovery checklist, camping checklist, safety checklist
- Recovery gear roundup, satellite messengers & GPS
What we could not verify
- Acreage figures.
- Elevation, season, widths, fuel.
Sources
- BLM: Little Sahara Recreation Area
- BLM: Little Sahara safety
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Off-highway vehicles (program home)
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Non-resident OHV permits
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws & rules
Last verified Oct 27, 2026 (America/Denver). Structured data: trails.json, trails.csv.
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