Photo Tips USA – Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP, Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

• Altitude 1830 m (6,003 ft)
• About 220,000 visitors per year

The name accurately describes this small Lawrence of Arabia landscape, which spans between the Vermillion Cliffs in the south and the White Cliffs in the north. Unlike its more colorless relatives in Death Valley and the Sahara, the midday sun gives the dunes here a slight pink glow, which pleases the photographer, who doesn’t need to correct the exposure to get the color at the same time as the details in the wind-sculpted reliefs.

The wind carries the finely ground Navajo sandstone from the south and unloads it as it slows here. The two main dunes, about 12 meters high (40 ft), are located near the parking lot and can be easily climbed.

People enthusiastically practice dune buggy driving here, which takes away much of the charm of the photogenic sand piles, in addition to hiking, photographing, or playing in the sand. However, after a fresh breeze overnight, they return to their original splendor in the morning. The best light, however, is in the evening, when the low sun first makes the dunes glow pink before turning them a spectacular red. The Vermillion Cliffs to the south provide a handsome backdrop to the desert landscape.

Photographically, this area lends itself equally well to macro shots of the wind-sculpted details and the numerous yellow wildflowers surrounding the wooden visitor trail, as well as overview shots.

Located 12 mi south of Mount Carmel Junction, the park can be accessed off Rt-89 via the paved Sand Dunes Road. It has a ranger station and two campgrounds that can accommodate RVs, restrooms, and showers. It is open year-round.

Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway

You can connect the southern part of Zion NP and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP on a nice 124 km (77 mi) round trip from Springdale. Follow Rt-9 across the Mesa to Mt Carmel Junction. At Mt Carmel Junction, turn onto Rt-89 and proceed south for 5.6 km (3.5 mi) until you reach the intersection with Sand Dunes Road. It will take you right to the small state park.

To return to Springdale, follow Sand Dunes Road south to its intersection with Arizona Rt-389, which you follow northeast along the Vermillion Cliffs. The route becomes Rt-59 from the Arizona/Utah border. After a little over 16 km (10 mi), the Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway branches off to the north. It takes you over the namesake rise of Smithonian Butte to Rockville and Rt-9. From the route’s highest point, you can see Zion Canyon’s entrance with the Watchman on the right and the Virgins on the left. As it travels from east to west, the sun sets this scenery in the best light in the morning and afternoon. The track, road or backway, or whatever you want to call it is not paved, but in dry weather, it is easy to drive on. After rainfall, however, it can be almost impassable. Before the final hill, the turnoff to the west leads to the well-preserved Grafton Ghosttown. Originally founded in 1859, the town underwent multiple reconstructions due to frequent river flooding until 1920. The first three houses on the access road and the church are open to visitors, but the remaining buildings are off limits. They also filmed scenes from „Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid“ here.

The view from the top of Smithonian Buttes is well worth an extra side trip from Springdale on a dry day. In Rockville, turn off Rt-9 (Zion Park Boulevard) onto Bridge Road. From there, Grafton Road branches off to the right after a good 500 yards. This is your route.

If you are approaching Zion NP from the south, you can follow Rt-59 south from Hurricane and take the Smithonian Butte Scenic Backway for a worthwhile detour to Rockville on Rt-9 and on to Springdale.

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