Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park in southwestern Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County. The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
The sand that makes up the pink-colored dunes is derived from the Navajo Sandstone
Location of Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (the United States)
LocationKane, Utah, United States
Coordinates37°2′16″N 112°43′13″W
Area3,730 acres (15.1 km2)[1]
Elevation6,000 ft (1,800 m)[2]
Established1963[2]
Visitors52676 (in 2011)[3]
Governing bodyUtah State Parks

The dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. High winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes as a result of the Venturi effect. The dunes are estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old.[2]

The park allows camping, hiking, off-road vehicle driving, and photography. There is a conservation area of 265 acres (1.07 km2), and the total grounds include 3,370 acres (13.6 km2). It was established as a Utah state park in 1963.

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima) is endemic to the dunes, being found nowhere else in the world.[4][5] The park also contains most of the remaining individuals of the rare plant known as Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii), a federally listed threatened species.[6]

  • Sand from the dunes: grains of quartz with a hematite coating providing the orange color.
  • Part of the field of sand dunes.
  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima)

References
  1. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes General Management Plan" (PDF). Utah State Parks. February 2005. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  2. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Archived from the original on 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  3. "Utah State Park 2011 Visitation" (PDF). Utah State Parks Planning. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  4. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima)". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  5. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle". Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  6. "Asclepias welshii". Center for Plant Conservation. 2010-09-28. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15.
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