Little Sahara Recreation Area

IMPORTANT UPDATES

Road maintenance for 2024 has resumed and will continue throughout the summer, weather permitting.

Starting June 10th, the Visitor Center will be closed until Fall 2024. The recreation area will remain open.

Water will remain on throughout the recreation area, subject to weather or maintenance.

Water will remain on throughout the recreation area, subject to weather or maintenance.

Play areas are no longer fully fenced off because of moving sand and damaged fences. Although safety measures have been made to keep these areas fenced off to motorized vehicles, please be aware that there is greater risk at this time.

Tunneling in the sand is prohibited due to possible risk of collapse.

Campfires are permitted. Burning of pallets is illegal.

Visitors should be prepared to follow Leave No Trace principles, including disposing of waste properly. If the garbage bins are full, please do your part to pack out everything that you packed in, including trash. Please do not leave trash in the restrooms or packed around the garbage bins. .

ABOUT LITTLE SAHARA RECREATION AREA

Little Sahara Recreation Area (LSRA) is 60,000 acres of sagebrush flats, juniper-covered hills, and free moving sand dunes located in Juab County, Utah. Less than a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City, LSRA provides an experience unlike any other for OHV fun and camping. Visitors frequent the recreation area for the challenges of climbing the 700-foot tall Sand Mountain, network of dirt trails around Black Mountain, low-lying dunes for beginners, and the White Sand Dune bowls.

Visitors to LSRA also enjoy hiking in the 6,000-acre Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area, fat-biking on the dunes, sandboarding/skiing down Sand Mountain, and wildlife viewing. Two children sand play areas are available in White Sands Campground and the Jericho Picnic Area (map webpage link). Motorized vehicles are not permitted inside the play areas.

The recreation area offers 255 improved campsites with access to 40 toilets, two sources for potable water, and 16 miles of paved roads. The campsites are located within four campgrounds: White Sands, Oasis, Jericho, and Sand Mountain. Dispersed camping is available outside of designated campgrounds. In addition to a Visitor's Center and campground amenities, LSRA has a fire station, engine bay/shop, and a bunkhouse for wildfire personnel.

LSRA records more than 20,000 visitors on the busy weekends of Easter, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, and 300,000 visitors annually. All fees collected are used to keep the site clean and open to the public.

GEOLOGY

Most of the sand at Little Sahara is the result of deposits left by the Sevier River, which once flowed into ancient Lake Bonneville 15,000 years ago. After the lake receded, the southwesterly winds that flow across the Sevier Desert picked up the exposed sand. Sand Mountain, in the middle of the dune field, deflected the wind upward, causing it to slow and drop its load of sand. Sand particles, composed mostly of quartz, fell downwind among the sagebrush and juniper around Sand Mountain, ultimately creating a 124 square-mile system of giant, free-moving sand dunes.

ROCKWELL OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA

Looking for solitude and quiet recreation? Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area is a 6,000-acre, vehicle-free zone located on the northwest side of LSRA. The ecosystem provides habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals. Mule deer and antelope, 15 species of birds, the Desert Whipsnake and 8 other species of reptiles. Stands of juniper, sagebrush, grasses typical to the Great Basin, and an extremely rare variety of saltbush dot the landscape.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Jericho Picnic and Camping Area

Directions: After leaving the visitor center, travel southwest along the main road for about 4 miles and signs will direct you into the Jericho Picnic Area.
GPS Coordinates: 39.68686, -112.36767

Oasis Campground

Directions: After leaving the visitor center, travel southwest along the main road for about 4 miles and signs will direct you past the Jericho Picnic Area to the Oasis Campground. The Oasis Dump Station is located between Jericho and Oasis.
GPS Coordinates: 39.68940, -112.35170

Sand Mountain Campground

Directions: From the visitor center approximately 4 miles to the junction, then 4 miles down to sand mountain.
GPS Coordinates: 39.63922, -112.38832

ADMISSION

$18/vehicle/night

$120 Annual Pass

$60 for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

Active military should inquiry about discount.

PERMITS are available to purchase through www.recreation.gov, remote off-grid kiosks at the visitor center, or the self-pay envelopes (cash or check). A transaction fee is charged for Recreation.gov and remote off-grid kiosks). Permits can also be purchased in-person at the Visitor Center or the Fillmore Field Office during Business hours. Cash and checks have no fees attached.

Season passes can also be purchased through the remote off-grid kiosk, Recreation.gov or the self-pay envelopes. The remote off-grid kiosk prints out a voucher that is the season pass until turned in for a physical pass, and visitors must write their license plate number on the voucher to validate. If you are purchasing through Recreation.gov, you will be sent two emails. The second email contains an attachment with a QR code that shows the specific details about your purchase, and this is your pass until it is exchanged for a physical pass. If visitors are purchasing passes through the self-pay envelopes, please include your phone number and a name. The stub from the envelope is your proof of payment, and we will call you to finalize your purchase.

Any passes for second vehicles will need to be purchased by calling the Fillmore Field Office at 435-743-3100. Please speak to our staff at the front desk or ask to be directed to the Outdoor Recreation Planner for the Little Sahara Recreation Area.

All credit/debit card payments will be processed through the remote off-grid kiosk and Recreation.gov. If passes are purchased through the remote off-grid kiosk and Recreation.gov, your pass will NOT be automatically mailed to you.

Recreation passes ranging from 1-6 nights, 2-7 days can now be purchased ahead of time online at Recreation.gov, through the Recreation.gov mobile app, or onsite at the self-registration station located on the entrance road and Rockwell. Learn more.

ANNUAL PASSES can now be purchased using recreation.gov at Recreation.gov. Annual passes will continue to be available for purchase through the mail by calling the Little Sahara Visitor Center when open (435-433-5960) or the BLM Fillmore Field Office (435-743-3100).

Visitors who purchase annual passes on recreation.gov must present the QR Code to the BLM at the Visitor Center, Fillmore Field Office, or Salt Lake Field Office to get a vehicle sticker. The QR Code can also be printed and placed in the vehicle dashboard and is valid until a sticker is obtained.

Guest wifi is available in the Visitor Center parking lot (called LittleSaharaGuest) for visitors wanting to purchase a pass online through Recreation.gov. The network is secure and locked for access only to recreation.gov.

Annual passes may also be purchased by utilizing the Little Sahara fee envelope onsite or filling out and mailing in the following:

Annual Pass Application Form

Annual Pass Letter

CONTACT US