Sand Hollow State Park

How to Get There

From St George:From St George: Get on I-15 N. Follow I-15 N and UT-9 E/W State St to Sand Hollow Rd in Hurricane. Continue on Sand Hollow Rd to destination.

Overview

Sand Hollow State Park is a Utah state park near Hurricane in Washington County, about 18 miles from St. George in the heart of the state's red rock country. The park surrounds the 1,322-acre Sand Hollow Reservoir and adjoins the Sand Mountain off-highway vehicle area, a landscape of red sand dunes and slickrock. It was officially dedicated in April 2003 and quickly became one of southern Utah's most popular parks. Visitors come to boat, swim, scuba dive, fish and relax on sandy beaches, to ride ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes on the dunes, and to camp near the turquoise water.

Access

Sand Hollow State Park is reached by paved roads from St. George. From the city, take Interstate 15 north to Hurricane, follow State Street and then Sand Hollow Road to the park entrance, about 20 to 30 minutes in total. The park sits at about 3,000 feet and has parking at the beaches, boat ramp, campgrounds and visitor center. The Sand Mountain OHV area is accessed from its own parking and staging area, and off-road vehicles must be street-legal or properly registered according to Utah rules. Nearly all visitors arrive by car.

Seasons

Sand Hollow is a year-round park, but summer is the busiest season, with hot weather perfect for swimming, boating and beach days, and campgrounds that fill weeks ahead. Spring and fall bring comfortable temperatures for riding the dunes, hiking and camping, and are among the best times to visit. Winters are mild but cool, and the park is much quieter, although the reservoir water is cold. Algae advisories sometimes apply to the reservoir in warm weather, and swimmer's itch is possible near shallow shorelines, so check the Utah State Parks website for current conditions. Some areas close for special events, such as OHV events in the fall.

Things to Do

Enjoy Boating and Water Sports

Sand Hollow Reservoir is renowned for its crystal-clear water and excellent boating conditions. Visitors can enjoy power boating, wakeboarding, waterskiing, jet skiing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and swimming while surrounded by stunning red sandstone landscapes.

Explore the Sand Mountain OHV Area

The park is one of the premier off-highway vehicle destinations in the western United States. Riders can explore hundreds of miles of trails, slickrock terrain, sand dunes, and desert landscapes. The Sand Mountain area attracts ATV, UTV, dirt bike, and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts from across the country.

Relax on Scenic Beaches

Several sandy beaches surround the reservoir and provide convenient access for swimming, picnicking, sunbathing, and shoreline recreation. The combination of warm water and desert scenery makes Sand Hollow a popular destination throughout the year.

Top Trails

Westside Trail

Length: Approximately 3 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy

Following portions of the reservoir shoreline, this trail offers beautiful views of the lake, beaches, and surrounding red rock formations. It is ideal for casual hiking, photography, and wildlife viewing.

Sand Hollow Reservoir Shoreline Trail

Length: Approximately 4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy

This scenic route explores sections of the lake's shoreline, providing access to beaches, fishing areas, and panoramic viewpoints overlooking the reservoir and surrounding desert landscapes.

Top of the World Route

Length: Approximately 2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Approximately 400 feet
Difficulty: Moderate

One of the area's most popular viewpoints, this route climbs to elevated overlooks featuring sweeping views of Sand Hollow Reservoir, Zion's surrounding landscapes, and the red rock terrain of southwestern Utah.

Visitor Centers

The park visitor center, near the entrance, is typically open from morning until evening and has a gift shop, park information, maps and fee payment. Rangers can advise on reservoir conditions, OHV rules and current advisories. The park also has a boat decontamination station near the boat ramp, which has seasonal hours, and visitors launching boats from out of the area should plan to use it. Restrooms, showers, drinking water and a ranger station serve campers and day users.

Camping and Lodging

The park has several campgrounds, including Sandpit, Lakeview, Westview and a primitive campground, with RV sites with full or partial hookups, tent sites, group sites and two cottages; reservations are made through Utah State Parks and fill quickly in spring, summer and fall. Showers, a dump station, picnic tables, grills and fire pits are available. The nearest lodging is in Hurricane and St. George, which together offer a wide range of hotels, motels, resorts and vacation rentals. Santa Clara, Ivins and La Verkin are also close, and Springdale, the gateway to Zion National Park, and Cedar City are within about an hour.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article and official pages for stateparks.utah.gov, visitutah.com, utah.com, Sand Hollow State Park, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Additional information from Utah State Parks.