Location: Eastern Idaho, 50 miles
northwest of Idaho Falls
Description:
This
10,600 acre playground of clear, shifting, white quartz sand is known for its
unique beauty and exceptional recreation opportunities.
Prevailing winds carried the sand from the nearby Teton and Snake Rivers and
deposited them as dunes among the hills. These hills were once active
volcanic vents pouring great depths of lava over the earth.
Today the St. Anthony Sand Dunes are home to a Wilderness Study Area (see
more info below) and one of the largest herds of wintering elk in the United
States.
Elevation
- 5,000 ft.
Directions to St. Anthony Sand Dunes:
Take I-15 north to Idaho Falls. Then take exit 119 - Highway 20
East - West Yellowstone and Rigby
From Rexburg:
Take exit 337 off of Highway 20 - North Rexburg and go north
*** June 2007 - The Salem Bridge is out - Detour available from St. Anthony
exit ***
From St. Anthony:
St. Anthony exit (exit 345). At stop, take a left onto N.
Bridge Street and go over the highway.
Go a few blocks and look for 600 Rd. N or N. Parker Rd. -
take a left. There is a sign for the dunes at this turn.
Drive about 5 miles until the road ends. A right turn will
take you to Sand Hills and a left will take you to Desert Oasis and Egin
Lake.
BLM Egin Lakes Access from Rexburg is
closed until 2008:
Take the North Rexburg or the Parker-Salem Highway exit off Highway 20. Travel
6.3 miles north to the second flashing light. Turn left and remain right
continuing 2.9 miles until the BLM Egin Lakes Access.
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St. Anthony GPS Coordinates:
Location
Coordinates
Sand Hills Resort
44°
00.58
N
/ 111° 46.83 W
Desert
Oasis
43°
57.78 N / 111° 49.12 W
Desert
Oasis Entry
43°
58.38 N / 111° 49.26 W
Egin
Lake Parking
43°
57.78 N / 111°
51.21 W
Thunder Mountain
(top)
43° 58.35 N / 111°
51.57 W
Choke
Cherry (top)
43° 58.10 N
/ 111° 58.46 W
Dead
Horse Bowl
43° 57.69 N
/ 111° 58.34 W
Devils
Dune
43° 58.45 N
/ 111° 59.24 W
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St. Anthony Camping Areas:
Egin Lake BLM Campground
Entry to Egin Lakes - Just follow the signs for Egin Lakes Access
Egin Lake - Campground can be seen on
top-left side of photo. Photo taken from
top of Thunder Mountain.
BLM Camping Fees at Egin Lake - June 2007
Egin Lake Campground Layout
BLM Day Use Area at Egin Lake
St. Anthony BLM Camping Area - Some spots have water and electric.
First come. First served. No Reservations.
New fees
for 2008 season:
The new fee will be $60 per night for 10 large group sites with electricity;
$30 per night for 18 medium group sites with electricity; and $25 per night
for 20 medium and small group or family sites without electricity.
There are 10 "A" sites which are double-sized with
electrical service for $60/night and 18 "B" sites with electrical
service
for $30/night.
Electrical service is $5/night per electrical pedestal. There are also 20
"C" sites with no electrical service
for
$25/night. Sharing of electrical service between units is prohibited. Only one
camping unit will be permitted to
operate
off a single electrical pedestal at one time. Parking of motorized vehicles
and ORVs under camp shelters and on
concrete
table pads is not allowed. Please read carefully the instructions located on
each panel for hook up and safety.
Campsites at Egin Lake - A, B & C sites
Water Fill and Dump Station at Egin Lake - At end of Day Use Area
Sand Hills Resort - Some interior sites are very tight for big rigs. The exterior
sites seem to have more maneuvering area.
- Some sites do not have full hookup. Check for sewer before making
reservation.
- Nice shade trees for many sites.
- Furthest camp area from the big dunes.
- Fire tubs available on request.
- Some picnic tables do exist, but they are few and far between.
- Laundry facility available (2 washers & 2 dryers).
Entrance to Sand Hills RV Resort - slow down when you see sand along the
road or you will miss the turn.
Campsites
Office & Store at Sand Hills RV Resort
Playground at Sand Hills RV Resort
Bathroom and Laundry
Sand Hills Resort - Interior sites tend to be a bit tight for big
rigs (site map)
New for 2007: They are in the process of putting in some new 50 amp
spots that I think will be a bit bigger. But they won't let you reserve those
until they are further along in the build out. Stay tuned for more info.
Desert Oasis - Full Hookup area
Desert Oasis - Dry Camping Area
The dry camping area is closer to the dunes.
Quiet
hours will be observed within the Egin Lakes Access Site and Red Road
Recreation Area from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. nightly.
Burning
any foreign material other than wood in all campfires is prohibited.
This includes, but is not limited to pallets, treated lumber, tires, glass,
aluminum, etc.
Engaging
in fighting is prohibited.
Addressing
any offensive, derisive, or annoying communication that
has a direct tendency to cause acts of violence by the person to whom,
individually, the remark is addressed, is prohibited.
No
person under the age of twenty-one (21) shall possess or consume
any alcoholic beverage, as defined by Idaho Code Title 23-105.
Idaho residents must display a valid state ORV sticker on their
motorcycle, All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), Off Highway Vehicle (OHV), and Off
Road Vehicle (ORV), (Idaho State Code 67-7122).
Out of state ATV, OHV, ORV, and motorcycle users must have a valid
registration sticker for the state in which they reside, if the state
requires such a registration. If your state requires a sticker and you
do not have one, you may be cited in Idaho for failure to register your
vehicle.
No highway-licensed vehicles are allowed on the Sand Dunes.
All off-road vehicle use must occur on the open sand areas or on
roads and trails displaying a "Designated Route" sign.
ORV use is prohibited on roads and trails that do not display a "Designated
Route" sign. Specifically, no designated routes exist
in the vicinity of the Egin Lakes Access. Riders should follow
the dunes access route to the open sand and avoid all vegetated areas.
Riders under 18 must wear a helmet.
Whip flag required on all ORVs.
Look for these trail markers to
lead you to the big dunes from
Sand Hills Resort or Desert Oasis.
Stay on these designated routes.
Sand Mountain BLM Wilderness Study Area The Sand
Mountain WSA includes 21,000 acres
of public land that is part of the larger St. Anthony Sand Dunes Special Recreation
Management Area (SRMA).
Rules within WSA: 1. Lands
within the WSA are restricted to unlicenced off-road
vehicles, including ATVs (3 and 4-wheelers), dual purpose off-road
motorcycles and dune buggies or dune rails. All licensed vehicles (with
the exception of dual purpose motorcycles) are prohibited, including
passenger automobiles, pick-up campers, camp trailers, self-contained
campers and similar vehicles.
2. All permitted use must occur on the open sand areas or on
designated roads or trails.
3. Glass containers for food and beverages are prohibited within
the WSA boundaries.
4. Safety equipment such as helmets, boots, and protective
clothing, are strongly recommended.
5. Each vehicle is required to have a "whip flag'' not less than 6
feet in length with brightly colored material on the end of the flag.
6. Open campfires are prohibited within the WSA, except in the
designated Red Road Open Sand Campfire Area. Within the Red Road Open
Sand Campfire Area, burning any foreign material other than wood in all
campfires is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to pallets, treated lumber, tires, glass, aluminum, etc.
Sensitive
Species and the Resource Conflict ORV use of the St. Anthony Sand Dunes has
grown
dramatically over the past few years.
Unfortunately, this use
has spurred a noticeable decline in
vegetation which is
critical to winter land, wilderness
quality and sensitive
species. Please ride only on the open
sand and designated
routes. Our goal is to protect the
dune’s unique resources
and keep
the dunes open for your enjoyment.
The following species are not listed
as threatened or
endangered but are species of special
concern. Both species
do have state conservation
assessments and strategies
prepared. These documents are
available at the BLM office
in
Idaho Falls
. The BLM has conducted inventories to
determine the populations and
breeding areas for the Dunes
Tiger Beetle and the Evening Primrose
Flower.
We ask that if you do see some of these Evening Primrose
plants that you go around them and
please do not ride over
or through them.
If continued access to St.
Anthony is important to you, please take a few minutes to do the
following:
1. Contact
Congressman Simpson (R-ID) and ask him to author a bill to release the Sand
Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) back to
its' former use.
2. Contact
your members of Congress and ask them to support a Wilderness Study Release bill so that WSA's are not left in limbo
forever.
