The Greater Sand Dunes Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) is a composite of various sites and facilities that offer guests plenty of vacation options and recreation opportunities, making it a premier destination for unforgettable getaways. At this Bureau of Land Management property, you get to choose between a host of activities, depending on what excites you. The majority of the recreation sites in this BLM SRMA are accessible by vehicles, but note that some require high clearance vehicles due to the road conditions.
This BLM area is accessible via US Highway 191 from Rock Springs, Wyoming, so gear up to enjoy both motorized and non-motorized activities. Some popular activities here are off-highway vehicle riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, and wildlife viewing.
The beautiful landscapes that are present in the different recreation sites in this BLM park make it a Mecca for nature lovers and photographers. Feel free to make your way to sites like White Mountains Petroglyphs and Cedar Canyon Petroglyphs where you’ll see cultural resources that date back more than two centuries. The fun does not end here as you can visit Bridger-Teton National Forest for more things to do.
Free camping options are provided in one of the recreation sites here.
Great Sand Dunes Special Recreation Management Area lies north on US Highway 191 from Rock Springs, within the Jack Morrow Hills Planning Unit. This Bureau of Land Management area consists of various facilities and recreation sites, all of which have different access points along the highway. As a result, where you choose to explore within the SRMA will determine how you’ll move around in the area. Some of the sites can be easily accessed by any motorized vehicle, while some others require high clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles that will adequately negotiate the rough terrain, dirt roads, and unmaintained paths.
If you wish to visit the Killpecker Sand Dunes Play Area, your turn-off point from Highway 191 is County Road where you’ll drive for 20 miles before you arrive at the Sand Dunes access road that leads to the recreation area. Traveling just two miles further along County Road will lead you to the access route to Crookston Ranch Cultural Site.
White Mountain Petroglyphs and Cedar Canyon Petroglyphs can be accessed via County 4-17, off Highway 191 at mile marker 10.
Parking spaces are provided for vehicles within the recreation units and facilities in this BLM property, so you won’t have difficulty find spots to park your cars, RVs, and motorhomes.
A BLM campground is available in Killpecker Sand Dunes Open Play Area, open to all guests in the BLM SRMA and offering free camping opportunities to all. The campground is also ADA accessible and features a vault toilet and fire rings.
The North Table Rock Camping Area is another camping area here commonly used by off-highway vehicle riders as a base camp. This camping area has no facilities, so is best suited for self-contained vehicles. Camping is free and the site is ADA accessible.
Big Sandy Campground is a Forest Service campground that lies along Big Sandy Creek, in Bridger-Teton National Forest, northwest of Greater Sand Dunes SRMA. This campground is usually open from June to September, depending on the road conditions and snow load.
This campground features four campsites in its main loop and one more site dedicated for equestrian campers. A vault toilet is provided in the campground, but no drinking water is available, so come along with all the water you will need.
Common activities here include hiking, fishing, horseback riding, hunting, and photography.
Reservations are not accepted, so you can only get the campsites on a first-come, first-served basis.
One of the most popular sites in this BLM SRMA is the Killpecker Sand Dunes Open Play Area, where guests and campers can enjoy both motorized and non-motorized recreational activities. This area is part of the Greater Sand Dunes Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), so dedicated efforts are in place to preserve and protect the important resources in the area.
If you’re looking to enjoy activities that don’t require any motorized equipment, then feel free to hike, ride your horse, hunt game, and take photographs of the scenic landscapes. Bikers, off-highway vehicle riders and other motorized recreation enthusiasts also have their own space here, so there’s room for everyone.
If you’re a history lover or fancy cultural resources, then you should visit the Crookston Ranch Cultural Site in this Special Recreation Management Area. This ranch is considered a turn-of-the-century ranch, as it is claimed that Butch Cassidy, the notorious criminal, used this ranch as a resting place and a place to re-horse when he was on the run from Federal Marshals.
This ranch was homesteaded by Joe Crookston in the 1880’s, and so the property is named after him.
Gear up for fascinating hiking and mountain climbing exercises if you’re going to explore Boar’s Tusk. Sitting at an elevation of 7,100 feet, this natural landscape is a dominant volcanic structure that’s often used as a landmark for mountain bikers, hikers, and railroads travelers. The main geologic material here is Lamporite, which dates back to 2.5 million years. If you want to access the site by vehicle, ensure it’s a high-clearance one.
Besides hiking, mountain biking, and mountain climbing, photography is also popular here.
There are no direct public transportation services to this SRMA, however travel and camping equipment are available nearby at Rock Springs and Farson.
About 12,000 guests visit White Mountain Petroglyphs on average every year, which goes to show how attractive this area is to tourists and campers within and outside the region. This site is part of a cultural landscape that’s significant to four Native American tribes.
Here, you’ll get the chance to see rock art panels and fascinating carvings that date back more than two centuries. Whether your interest is hiking, photography, or nature observation and study, you’ll enjoy what you want at this site.
Feel free to visit Buffalo Hump Wilderness Study Area (WSA) for the chance to enjoy unspoiled primitive recreational opportunities. This BLM wilderness area is a sand dune area where you’ll see plenty of sand valleys, blowouts, hills, and dunes, so carry your camera along.
If you visit the western and northern parts of the 16 square mile WSA, you’ll find ponds, playas, and grass-covered marshes. The other areas, however, consist of meadows and active dunes.
Horseback riding, hunting, birdwatching, hiking, and backpacking are some popular things to do here.
The 42 square mile Sand Dunes Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is a great place to visit to view large barren active dunes that feature wet meadows, draws, and valleys, as well as plant communities such as sagebrush, greasewood, and rabbitbrush.
Outstanding primitive recreation opportunities are on offer here, such as the chance to hike the dunes for a strenuous, but rewarding experience. You may be interested in watching birds such as killdeer, waterfowl, and shorebirds too. Game hunting and nature photography are other alternatives.
