Hey there friends, I've sincerely missed you all!! We've been driving our tiny home on wheels across country the past few weeks, and what I thought would be a week off from blogging turned into a bit more! I appreciate you sticking around, and allowing me to live in the moment with my family! :-)

Follow me on Instagram where I daily share RV life, motherhood, and faith! I thought I'd share one of the more recent adventures we've had at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah from the perspective of having YOUNG children! Maybe you'd like to add it to your must-visit places with your family…maybe NOT, haha?! I'll give you the nitty gritty, and leave it for you to decide!

(I'd like to preface this with the fact that we've also been to Mohanan Sandhills State Park in Texas, and Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado with small children! Both, we loved, and impacted the experience we had at Coral Pink Sand Dunes.)

Coral Pink Sand Dunes PROS:

The sand was totally worth renting a sandboard, or sandsled from the entrance station! (The padded wooden boards and wax were the best boards I've seen for comfort sake, and sledding with multiple small riders at once! NOT your typical flimsy plastic sled from Walmart!)
$25 each was a bit steep, (especially given you may want more than ONE board depending on how large your family is), but it was worth the experience as we got a lot of speed on the sand, and if you’re a cheap-o like me, you can always turn it into a teachable moment to share, haha!
$10 entry, per vehicle/$5 entry, per vehicle if military/$5 entry, per vehicle if 65+older is pretty affordable to enter, but they really getcha with the cost of the boards! (If that’s an issue, maybe consider bringing your own?)
The sand was super clean and therapeutic! Note: Bring a tent, some shovels, buckets, or maybe have a picnic with food and drink so your youngest children can comfortably relax in the shade rather than in the direct sunlight!
There was a small boardwalk leading to a lookout space with bleachers to sit on, and view the dunes in case you'd like to remain off the sand. (There was also ample shade underneath the lookout, but this was a pretty far walk from the areas of sand that people were sliding down, keep in mind!) I suggest skipping the hottest part of the day, and going to the dunes earlier, or later in the day!

Coral Pink Sand Dunes CONS:

This might be petty, but we kind of expected to see coral pink sand! It was more like "khaki" sand, haha?! Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but there may have been a bit of false advertising there, haha! It was NOT coral pink- - the kids could care less though! (I feel like edited photos may have helped this “coral pink” color cause!)
The other sand dune parks we visited in the past had a vast variety of large hills for sledding. However, there seemed to be only one "large hill" as seen in the picture above that everybody flocked to.
96% of the Sand Dunes have access by ATVs aside from two marked off areas! This may be a pro for ATV-ers, but it was a con for sledders and hikers because at times there was a sense of needing to be on guard with small children while walking through less populated areas. For example, while my son, and I were walking back to the car, an ATV appeared out of nowhere, and sped right past us! As a mama bear of three…me no likey.
Be prepared for a lot of walking with young ones, up and down through heavy sand marked with shrubbery just to get to the main sand hills to slide down. (As seen in pic above, you have to walk quite a distance...feel the burn, mama, and bring your baby carrier!) ;-)

In closing, is Coral Sand Dunes State Park worth a visit? Yes, especially if you’re in the area, and it's your FIRST time visiting sand dunes. However, to the avid sand duner who's seen the more spectacular dunes, keep my "cons" list in mind while making your decision for whether it would be worth the stop for you and your young family!! Lastly, prepare, prepare, prepare!! :-)

Have you ever visited the Coral Pink Sand Dunes? What did you think of your experience? Tell us in the comments below along with any other advice you’d like to give to parents with young children! Happy sand duning, everyone!!

Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,