Skip to content
Places to ride · Nevada

Sand Mountain

One colossal dune off Highway 50: six hundred feet of face, the largest single dune in the Great Basin.

~4,000 ftElevation at the staging area
−12%Power lost to thin air, naturally aspirated
Oct–MayPrime season

Know before you go

Fees, rules and the lay of the land.

Managed byBureau of Land Management

Rules, closures and current conditions come from them. Fees and rules below are from their page, read November 10, 2026.

Fees$40 for 1 to 7 days · $90 annual pass

A designated fee site.

The place4,795 acres

The dune is about 3.5 miles long, 1 mile wide and 600 feet high, 25 miles southeast of Fallon on U.S. 50.

Stay on the trails

Off the open dunes, vehicles must stay on the 23 miles of designated trail.

Bring water

Primitive camping at the base of the dunes. There is no water on site.

Fees and rules change. Check the Bureau of Land Management page before you haul.

What the elevation does

Thin air takes 12% here.

Pick a naturally aspirated machine

Rated225 hp
At ~4,000 ft~198 hp

Standard atmospheric math: roughly 3% per 1,000 feet for a naturally aspirated engine. Not a dyno claim.

Turbo and supercharged cars.

A turbocharged machine (Can-Am Maverick R, Can-Am Maverick X3, CFMOTO Z10) can spin its turbo harder as the air thins, so it loses far less. We don’t put a number on that.

A supercharger breathes the same thin air, so it gives up a similar share. It just starts from much higher.

Tunes written for your fuel and elevation →

What to run

Set up for Sand Mountain.

Paddles for the mountain itself. The face is a horsepower dyno you can watch.

Sand tiresSteers and paddles → Forged wheelsBeadlock or standard lip → TunesFor your fuel and elevation → SuperchargersPower to spare up high → FitmentWhat fits your machine →

Where it is

Sand Mountain, Nevada.

ArizonaCaliforniaOregonUtahIdahoNevadaPackard · ClearfieldSand Mountain

The dune is about 3.5 miles long, 1 mile wide and 600 feet high, 25 miles southeast of Fallon on U.S. 50.

Open in Google Maps ↗Bureau of Land Management page ↗

More places to ride

Oceano Dunes Sea levelGlamis ~300 ftDumont Dunes ~800 ftSand Hollow ~3,000 ftSt. Anthony Sand Dunes ~4,900 ftLittle Sahara ~5,200 ftCoral Pink Sand Dunes ~5,900 ftAll places →

Questions

Sand Mountain questions.

What is the elevation at Sand Mountain?

About 4,000 feet at the staging area.

How much does it cost to ride at Sand Mountain?

$40 for 1 to 7 days · $90 annual pass. A designated fee site. That is from the Bureau of Land Management page as of November 10, 2026; check the official page before you haul.

How much power does my machine lose at Sand Mountain?

A naturally aspirated engine loses roughly 3% of its power per 1,000 feet, so about 12% here. A Polaris RZR Pro R rated at 225 hp makes about 198 hp. Turbocharged machines lose far less.

When is the best time to ride Sand Mountain?

Riders go mostly Oct–May.

Who manages Sand Mountain?

The Bureau of Land Management. Rules, closures and conditions are on their page.