Little Sahara Recreation Area

Little Sahara Recreation Area (LSRA) is 60,000 acres of sagebrush flats, juniper-covered hills, and free moving sand dunes located in Juab County, Utah. Less than a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City, LSRA provides an experience unlike any other for OHV fun and camping. Visitors frequent the recreation area for the challenges of climbing the 700-foot tall Sand Mountain, network of dirt trails around Black Mountain, low-lying dunes for beginners, and the White Sand Dune bowls. 

Visitors to LSRA also enjoy hiking in the 6,000-acre Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area, fat-biking on the dunes, sandboarding/skiing down Sand Mountain, and wildlife viewing. Two children sand play areas are available in White Sands Campground and the Jericho Picnic Area. Motorized vehicles are not permitted inside the play areas. 

The recreation area offers 255 improved campsites with access to 40 toilets, two sources for potable water, and 16 miles of paved roads. The campsites are located within four campgrounds: White Sands, Oasis, Jericho, and Sand Mountain. Dispersed camping is available outside of designated campgrounds. In addition to a Visitor's Center and campground amenities, LSRA has a fire station, engine bay/shop, and a bunkhouse for wildfire personnel. 

LSRA records more than 20,000 visitors on the busy weekends of Easter, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, and 300,000 visitors annually. All fees collected are used to keep the site clean and open to the public. 

May 2023 Updates: 

• Vault toilets are available at all campgrounds year-round.  
• The Sand Mountain flush toilets are open, and the other campground restrooms will be opened when possible. 
• The dump station is now open. 
• Water is on at the water fill stations and in Oasis, Jericho, Sand Mountain and White Sands campgrounds. 
• Play areas are no longer fully fenced off because of moving sand and damaged fences. Although safety measures have been made to keep these areas fenced off to motorized vehicles, please be aware that there is greater risk at this time. 
• Tunneling in the sand is prohibited due to possible risk of collapse.  
• Campfires are permitted. Burning of pallets is illegal.  
• The new visitor center is still under construction and open for limited operation hours on weekends. 
• The Willard R. Fullmer Visitor Center closed on Sept. 12 and was demolished. 

Admission

$18/vehicle/night
$120 Annual Pass 
$60 for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

Active military should inquiry about discount. 

Recreation Passes: Recreation passes ranging from 1-6 nights, 2-7 days can now be purchased ahead of time online at recreation.gov, through the Recreation.gov mobile app, or onsite at the self-registration station located on the entrance road and Rockwell. Learn more. 

Annual Passes: Annual passes can now be purchased using recreation.gov at go.usa.gov/xsQvb. Annual passes will continue to be available for purchase through the mail by calling the Little Sahara Visitor Center when open (435-433-5960), the BLM Fillmore Field Office (435-743-3100), or the BLM West Desert District  Office (801-320-8300). 

Visitors who purchase annual passes on recreation.gov must present the QR Code to the BLM at the Visitor Center, Fillmore Field Office, or Salt Lake Field Office to get a vehicle sticker. The QR Code can also be printed and placed in the vehicle dashboard and is valid until a sticker is obtained.

Guest wifi is available in the Visitor Center parking lot (called LittleSaharaGuest) for visitors wanting to purchase a pass online through recreation.gov. The network is secure and locked for access only to recreation.gov.

Annual passes may also be purchased by utilizing the Little Sahara fee envelope onsite or filling out and mailing in the following:

• Annual Pass Application Form
• Annual Pass Letter

Geology

Most of the sand at Little Sahara is the result of deposits left by the Sevier River, which once flowed into ancient Lake Bonneville 15,000 years ago. After the lake receded, the southwesterly winds that flow across the Sevier Desert picked up the exposed sand. Sand Mountain, in the middle of the dune field, deflected the wind upward, causing it to slow and drop its load of sand. Sand particles, composed mostly of quartz, fell downwind among the sagebrush and juniper around Sand Mountain, ultimately creating a 124 square-mile system of giant, free-moving sand dunes. 

Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area

Looking for solitude and quiet recreation? Rockwell Outstanding Natural Area is a 6,000-acre, vehicle-free zone located on the northwest side of LSRA. The ecosystem provides habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals. Mule deer and antelope, 15 species of birds, the Desert Whipsnake and 8 other species of reptiles. Stands of juniper, sagebrush, grasses typical to the Great Basin, and an extremely rare variety of saltbush dot the landscape.