Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Utah State Park
The sand that makes up the pink colored dunes is derived from the Navajo Sandstone
Country United States
State Utah
County Kane
Location Kanab
 - elevation 6,000 ft (1,829 m) [1]
 - coordinates 37°2′16″N 112°43′13″W / 37.03778°N 112.72028°W / 37.03778; -112.72028Coordinates: 37°2′16″N 112°43′13″W / 37.03778°N 112.72028°W / 37.03778; -112.72028
Area 3,730 acres (1,509.5 ha) [2]
Founded 1963 [1]
Management Utah State Parks
Visitation 52,676 (2011) [3]
IUCN category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Location of Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in southwestern Utah. The park features coral-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs.

The Dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. High winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes because of the Venturi effect. The dunes are estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old.[1]

The park allows camping, hiking, off-road vehicle driving, and photography. There is a conservation area of 265 acres (1.07 km2), and the total grounds include 3,370 acres (13.6 km2). It was established as a Utah state park in 1963.

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima) is an insect species that is endemic to the dunes, being found nowhere else in the world.[4][5]

This state park contains most of the remaining individuals of a rare plant, Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii), a federally listed threatened species.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  2. ↑ "Coral Pink Sand Dunes General Management Plan" (PDF). Utah State Parks. February 2005. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  3. ↑ "Utah State Park 2011 Visitation" (PDF). Utah State Parks Planning. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima)". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle". Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Asclepias welshii". Center for Plant Conservation. 2010-09-28. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15.
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