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FILLMORE, Utah – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fillmore Field Office announced today that it will reopen the Little Sahara Recreation Area on May 13 following updates to COVID-19-related restrictions that the State of Utah and the Central Utah Public Health Department recently implemented. The BLM is working with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and use a phased approach to increase access on a case-by-case basis.

Consistent with the State of Utah’s recommendations, the BLM encourages visitors to recreate close to home. Little Sahara Recreation Area is located near Delta, Utah. Visitors should follow all CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 by staying home when sick, washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoid touching your face, and socially distance from other groups. High risk category visitors are encouraged to remain at home.

Visitors will be required to pay the day-use fee through the self-pay tubes located in the visitor center parking lot and purchase annual passes over the phone by contacting the BLM at (435) 743-3100. The day-use fee will continue to cover two days and one night of access to the recreation area. To offset the inconvenience of the closure, previously purchased season passes will be honored for an additional two months beyond the expiration date.

“The BLM is committed to both public safety and providing outstanding opportunities for recreation. Over the past two months, we have been working closely with local authorities to make sure we are balancing both appropriately,” said Fillmore Field Manager Mike Gates. “We ask the public to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, as well as the restrictions we will put in place to protect the public while enjoying recreation at Little Sahara Recreation Area.”

Social distancing and dispersed camping restrictions at Little Sahara Recreation Area include:   

• Visitors are expected to bring personal hand sanitizing items, face masks, and other safety items that will help prevent the spread of disease in common areas, such as bathrooms, water fill stations, and dump stations.
• Consistent with the Governor Gary R. Herbert’s Utah Leads Together 2.0 plan, groups larger than 20 individuals must not congregate within the recreation area.
• Visitors who are dispersed camping must maintain a minimum of 300 feet between camps. All group gatherings must not exceed 20 individuals.
• Camping at Sand Mountain and Jericho will be permitted according to the dispersed camping restrictions.
• Oasis and White Sands designated campgrounds will be open and subject to the 20-person group size restrictions.
• Visitors must enter restrooms one person at a time. Visitors are expected to line up 6-10 feet apart outside the restrooms.

With public safety in mind, the visitor center remains closed to public use at this time. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Little Sahara Recreation Area our operational approach will be to monitor the recreation area’s use to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance.

While most of the recreation area is now accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to pre-COVID-19 operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders, plan ahead and prepare, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.

The CDC has offered guidance to help visitors to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor operations to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.  

Details and updates on operations will continue to be posted on our website https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/little-sahara-recreation-area and social media channels. Updates about BLM Utah operations will be posted on https://www.blm.gov/alert/utah-operations.

For additional information, please contact the Fillmore Field Office, at (435) 743-3100. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.