Best Canine Hike in Sand Dunes (Inland Division)
Do dogs have more fun racing in nature’s sand box than anywhere else? It sure seems like it when dog meets dunes. America is not lacking for opportunities for your dog to shift into four-paw drive and climb massive piles of sand. So without further delay let’s meet the nominees for the best place for sandy hikes away from the shore...
Bruneau Dunes State Park (Idaho)
Unlike its sister dune fields across western America, Bruneau Dunes is the site of the country’s highest single-structured sand dune. Sands have accumulated in a natural basin since the Bonneville Flood inundated this terrain 15,000 years ago. Prevailing winds blow in opposite directions about equal amounts of time and so, unlike most dunes, these do not drift far. The Bruneau Dunes rise approximately 470 feet. You are free to climb anywhere; as a bonus the dunes back to a small desert lake waiting to refresh a tired sand-climbing dog. Hardy canine adventurers will want to jump on the Dunes 5-Mile Hiking Trail that follows a circular path in semi-wilderness desert terrain, crossing dunesland and marshland.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (Utah)
The same iron oxides and minerals that produce the color in Utah’s Mighty Five national parks are responsible for the coral-colored Navajo sandstone that has eroded and blown into this notch in the mountains over thousands of years where the winds are pinched so much they can’t sustain enough speed to carry away the grains of sand. The Two Dunes Trail visits a wind-blown barchan (crescent- shaped dune) and a star-shaped dune caused by winds coming from several directions before returning in less than two miles. The Coral Pink Sand Dunes work their magic best on early morning hikes before the off-road crowd is permitted in at 9:00 a.m.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado)
The tallest sand dunes in North America formed here when sand from ancient dry lake beds got trapped in a low curve of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Prevailing winds from the valley floor blow toward the mountains but frequent storm winds blow the dunes back into the valley. This opposing wind action causes the sand to pile up vertically in the natural pocket. There are no designated trails in the park sand and your dog is invited to explore to the top of the first ridge of the 30-square mile dunefield, the imposing “High Dune” which affords a 360-degree view from its 650-foot summit. Medano Creek trickles down from the mountains to cool the sands - and paws - at the head of the dunes.
Mojave National Preserve - Kelso Dunes (California)
Don’t be put off by the Devil’s Playground that is anchored by the Kelso Dune Field - these stacked dunes are easy to reach and fun to climb. The tallest top out at about 650 feet and there are long hikes available along the crest. Oddly, the sand here is not being replenished so your dog is hiking on grains that have been around a long time. If you slide down Kelso Dunes slowly the sand will begin to “sing.” Your dog will probably take a pass on that.
White Sands National PARK (New Mexico)
When America’s space age began at White Sands Missile Range with the firing of a Tiny Tim test booster on September 26, 1945, it was important to retrieve small missile parts to analyze success or failure. These searches routinely wasted countless man-hours as ground recovery crews scoured vast expanses of desert in search of often-buried missile fragments. That ended in 1961 with the introduction of the Missile Dogs: Dingo, a Weimaraner, and Count, a German Shorthair. For up to a year before firing, important components of a missile were sprayed with squalene, a shark-liver oil that the dogs could smell from hundreds of feet away. After a missile firing, Dingo and Count raced among the sands sniffing out the scent objects. With a 96% recovery rate, the program was so successful that other military and scientific agencies requested the services of the original Missile Dogs of White Sands. So yes, your dog is welcome anywhere in the world’s largest gypsum sand dunes that form when minerals dissolve in nearby mountains during rainstorms.
And the Waggie Award for Best Canine Hike In Sand Dunes (Inland Division) goes to...White Sands National Park!
The dunes are not as imposing as others in the height game but instead of climbing just one or two your dog will have miles of bowls and dunes to play in across the white sands. There are even 6.2 miles of marked trails, including five on the Alkili Flats Trail. To follow along your dog can choose between maximum fun plowing up and down the dunes on the shortest route to the next post or save energy by navigating around the bowls. For what it is worth, the gypsum sands pack tighter than other dunes making it a less strenuous journey. Since White Sands became a National Monument in 1933 dogs have been welcome anywhere in the dunes. The park moved up a pay grade to national park status in 2019 and hopefully nothing will change on that score.