You’re never too old to play in the sand, and mild temperatures make fall the perfect time to indulge your inner child in a wide-open and sun-soaked expanse of it. Wind and water shift dunes so that even if you’ve been there before, another trip to dune-country will likely lead to discovering a new ocean view, or a grove of tough-won growth that wind will use to re-shape the shifting sands yet again. Don’t forget to dump out your shoes after exploring nature’s sand castles in your backyard. – Melissa Gaskill
Credit: Kristy Holland
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Oregon
The largest expanse of coastal dunes in North America, these wind-blown hills of pulverized rock extend 40 miles between Florence and Coos Bay on Oregon’s Pacific coast. Moving piles of sand tower up to 500 feet above sea level and are interspersed with tree islands, marsh-like plains, ponds, and streams, all backed by coastal forest. www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw
Things to do:
- Paddle 3 miles down the Siltcoos River trail to the ocean. Watch for river otters along the way.
- Hike beneath fir and spruce trees, through low-lying wet-lands, and over dunes on the 6.5-mile Tahkenitch Trail.
- Kick up some dust with a dune buggy on one of three designated off-road vehicle areas.
- Pitch a tent on a dune along Eel Creek and hike through some of the park’s largest sand hills on the John Dellenback Dunes Trail.
- Grab your binoculars and look for beaver, muskrat, great blue herons, bald eagles, and osprey on the Lagoon Trail.
Credit: Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.
Monahans Sandhills State Park, Texas
This West Texas park has nearly 4,000 acres of sprawling sand dunes that spread into New Mexico, covered with tiny Shinoak trees. The dunes inside the park itself are bald and barren, and continue to move and change at the whim of the winds. Water collects in low places between the mounds, which has attracted humans for thousands of years and today creates good wildlife-spotting opportunities. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/monahanssandhills
Things to do:
- Fly downhill on a sand disk or board, available for rent at park headquarters, then scramble back up and do it again, and again.
- Saddle up and ride through the dunes on horseback.
- Bone up on the area’s cultural and natural history in the Dunagan Visitor Center, and spot a jack rabbit or cactus wren through the windows.
- Feel tall. The world’s shortest forest, an expanse of fully mature Shinoak trees, is only four feet high.
- Wander the 0.25-mile nature trail. Dozens of desert plants are labeled and you’ll spot blooming sunflowers and red-tailed hawks.
Credit: Kristy Holland
Warren Dunes State Park, Michigan
Dunes rise up to 260 feet in this park on Lake Michigan in the state’s southwest corner, and you’ll find plenty of sand along the park’s 2.5 miles of shoreline, too. Eight different ecological settings, from beach to beech-maple forest, create a rich diversity of scenery and plant life. www.michigandnr.com
Things to do:
- Explore trails winding 6 miles through dunes and woodlands. Watch for deer, fox, and raccoon.
- Race barefoot up Mt. Randall, the park’s largest dune, and soak in spectacular views of Lake Michigan.
- Gawk at brilliant fall colors made by red oak, maples, beech, and sassafras. Look for Paw-Paw tree fruit, which resemble stubby bananas and ripen in October.
- Pitch a tent in one of 36 rustic campsites and fall asleep to the symphony of Painterville Creek.
