Little Sahara Recreation Area - Jericho Junction, Utah

Little Sahara Recreation Area - Jericho Junction, Utah

Have you been looking for the best place to ride your ATV and face real challenges?  Then you may want to visit the Little Sahara Recreation Area (Jericho Sand Dunes) where you can ride with others on the Sevier Desert of central Utah. The area is big enough and diverse enough that you will enjoy the opportunity to test yourself in different situations that the sand will provide.  The winds also make it a challenge since you will need to be prepared to protect yourself while still being able to see as the wind whips the sand into your face.

This area was created as the result of deposits left by the Sevier River which no longer flows through the area but did 15,000 years ago and dropped into the ancient Lake Bonneville.  When the lake receded the sand was blown into the area where Sand Mountain, in the middle of the dune field, deflected the wind upward which caused it to slow and drop the sand particles downwind among the sagebrush and juniper creating a 124 square mile system of giant, free-moving sand dunes.  The dunes are still moving to the north and east between 5 and 9 feet per year!

It features 60,000 acres of sand dunes, trails, and sagebrush flats. The recreation area is about 12 miles long (north to south) and 10 miles wide. Sand Mountain, a wall of sand climbing nearly 700 feet, is the primary focal point for hill climbing. The sand dunes, on the northern side of the recreation area, have plentiful riding “bowls.” The low-lying dunes southwest of Black Mountain provide good terrain for beginners or for those who just want to get away from the crowds. Black Mountain provides a network of dirt trails up, over, and around a peak, offering excellent trail riding for just about any kind of OHV.

If you aren't into ATV's and yet want to experience the area you are welcome to go to Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area which is a vehicle-free zone.  There are 9,000 acres which provide habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals such as Mule deer and antelope, 15 species of birds, the Desert whipsnake, and 8 other species of reptiles.  You can explore the area and perhaps get sight of some of them in their natural habitat.

Atriplex canescens variety gigantea, also known as giant four-winged saltbush, is a unique plant species. The dune fields of Little Sahara are the only place in the world where this particular variety of saltbush grows naturally. If you are a botanist or have an interest in unique plants then you will certainly want to explore these.  Since they are extremely rare please avoid running over them or its roots and for pity sake, don't break off branches for firewood!

There is camping available within the recreation area nestled among the juniper.  White Sands is closest to the Visitor Center but the farthest from Sand Mountain.  There are 99 sites here with flush toilets, drinking water, fenced play area and a candy-striped homing pole to use as a visual reference to get back to the campgrounds.  At night the pole has a white blinking beacon to show you the way.

The Oasis is the most developed site with paved pads for trailers and motorhomes, 114 sites, flush toilets, drinking water, dump station and access to trails and smaller dunes.

Jericho serves as the overflow campground and is good for large groups.  It has paved parking access road, 41 picnic tables with shade armadas, flush toilets, drinking water and fenced sand play area.

If  you are looking for a Primitive camping area then you will want Sand Mountain. Three paved parking loops, with parking off the pavement in the sand. A flush toilet, vault toilets, drinking water. 

Fees:
There is a use fee of $8.00 per day with the exception of Easter, Memorial Day, and Labor Day weekends when the fee is $10.00 per day. Annual permits may be purchased for $75. Payment is made at the Visitor Center.  If the booth is closed, there is a self-service station in the Visitor Center parking lot.

Drinking water is available year-round at the Willard R. Fullmer Visitor Center and in campgrounds during frost-free months.
Visitor Center
The visitor center is open year-round, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The visitor center telephone number is (435) 433-5960. Weather information (435) 433-5961.

Some other things to keep in mind:
• Helmets are the law if you are under the age of 18. If older, why tempt the law of averages?
• Broken Glass in the sand is dangerous.  Glass containers, paintball guns, and wooden pallets are prohibited.
• Drinking and driving is against the law.  Riding ATVs while under the influence puts yourself
as well as others at risk.
• Safety flags. For safety’s sake, Federal and State regulations require the use of safety flags within recreation area.
•Forget the firearms. Discharging them at Little Sahara is illegal, so please leave them at home.
• Vandalism of toilets and tables is everyone’s loss and costs all of us money. If you observe vandalism, please report it to a BLM employee.
• If you pack it in, pack it out. Aluminum and glass don’t burn, so please keep them out of your campfire.
• Play safe, not sorry. Each year several people are seriously injured or killed on the dunes due to accidents. Always check for steep drop-offs or other riders before powering over the crest of dune.
• Remember; watch out for pedestrians, children, and their pets playing in the dunes.
• Tread Lightly! Drive responsibly to protect the environment and preserve your opportunities to enjoy the many recreational experiences Little Sahara offers.

Law Enforcement
Emergency Call: 911
BLM Law Enforcement Officer
Fillmore Field Office:
(435) 743-3100
Juab County Sheriff:
(435) 623-1344

Emergency Information
Nearest Hospital
Central Valley Medical Center (30 miles from Visitor Center)
48 West 1500 North
(435) 623-3000
At Nephi, proceed north on Main Street 1.4 miles past traffic light to the hospital at 1500 North Main.
There also is a First Aid Station at the Visitor Center.

Pay Telephone
BLM Visitor Center, or Lynndyl (21 miles south on US 6) or Eureka (23 miles north on US 6)