Sand Hollow is the reason a lot of people fly into St. George with riding boots in their luggage. Very few places put soft dunes, grippy slickrock and miles of open red sand two-track within sight of each other, and almost nowhere does it against scenery like this. If you are planning a day there, this is what to expect and how to get the most out of it.

Three kinds of riding, one park

Red sand two-track. This is where you should start and where most riders spend most of the day. Wide, open, forgiving, and the fastest way for a new rider to get comfortable with throttle and body position.

The dunes. Soft sand rewards momentum and punishes hesitation. The single most useful thing to know is that stopping halfway up a slope leaves you digging, so commit or turn early. Keep your weight back, stay off the front brake, and let the bike float rather than fighting it.

Slickrock. The opposite problem. Traction is superb, so the limiting factor becomes line choice and how smoothly you can feed in power. It is technical, unforgiving of laziness, and enormously satisfying once it clicks.

A sensible first day

Arrive early — the park fills at weekends and the light is better anyway. Spend the first hour on the two-track getting used to the bike. Move onto gentle slickrock next, because it teaches throttle control at low speed. Save the dunes for when you are warm, confident and not yet tired. Most people who have a bad day at Sand Hollow had it because they went to the dunes first.

Which bike to bring

Sand rewards torque over peak horsepower. The Honda CRF250F is the sweet spot for most riders: enough drive to climb, forgiving enough that a mistake is not punished. Total beginners should take the CRF125F. If you already ride, the GASGAS EX250 and Husqvarna TC250 are the two you want, with the KTM 300SX for riders who know they want it.

The electric Sur-Ron Light Bee X is a surprisingly good slickrock bike — light, precise, and quiet enough to hold a conversation with the rider next to you.

Practical details

Sand Hollow is a Utah state park and charges a day-use fee per vehicle, separate from your rental. There is camping at the park and it books up well ahead in spring and autumn. There is no shade to speak of, so bring far more water than you think you need.

Do not forget the reservoir

Sand Hollow Reservoir sits in the middle of all this, and the water is unusually warm and clear. Plenty of our customers ride in the morning, then take a paddle board out in the afternoon when the heat makes riding unpleasant. Boards are inflatable, so one fits in the vehicle you already towed the bikes with.

Getting there and booking

Bikes are collected from our shop at 1752 W Plains Dr in Apple Valley and towed to the park — a short, easy run. We rent a trailer if you need one, though we only keep two, so book it with the bikes. Pick your dates above to see live availability, or call us on (385) 236-8086.

Related pages

Staying nearby? See Hurricane or St. George. Never ridden sand before? Start with beginner rentals. Also: paddle boards for the reservoir, prices, and the full dirt bike fleet.

Had enough sand? Gooseberry Mesa is the technical slickrock alternative, and noticeably cooler at 5,200 feet. Toquerville Falls swaps open dunes for five miles of rough road and a waterfall you can swim in at the end.