THE OPEN PLAY AREA IS ONLY PART OF THIS SRMA. Sand Dunes WSA and Buffalo Hump WSA sit inside the same designation and carry motorized restrictions. Check the boundary — "it is all Killpecker" is not a defense.
Permit required — No fee. Wyoming ORV permit rules still apply — see the state requirements below. Non-fee area.
⚠️ DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK IN COLORADO. That is a different state and a National Park Service unit where OHV riding is essentially prohibited outside the Medano Pass primitive road. This is BLM land in WYOMING, north of Rock Springs. The names are one letter apart and search engines mix them up constantly.
Guide
About this area
• The open play area inside the Greater Sand Dunes SRMA • North of Rock Springs in the Jack Morrow Hills Planning Unit • One developed campground about 32 miles from Rock Springs • Boar's Tusk, a volcanic plug, stands nearby as the landmark • 🔴 The wider SRMA contains Sand Dunes WSA and Buffalo Hump WSA — those are NOT…
Camping
One developed campground located about 32 miles from Rock Springs
Facilities
Vault toilet and fire rings
Full agency description
Killpecker Sand Dunes is the open play area at the heart of the Greater Sand Dunes SRMA, north of Rock Springs in the Jack Morrow Hills. It is one of the largest active dune fields in the country and genuinely remote — free to ride, camping capped at 14 days, and nothing out there but the dunes, Boar's Tusk standing up out of the desert nearby, and a lot of Wyoming sky. The thing to get right before you go is which ground you are on: this SRMA also contains two Wilderness Study Areas where motorized use is restricted, and the open play area is only part of it.
At a glance
Quick facts
Camping limit
14 day limit. One developed campground about 32 miles from Rock Springs, plus dispersed camping.
Managing agency
Bureau of Land Management
Access
Getting there
Sand dunes off-road vehicle areaEntrance
The open play ground itself. North on US-191 from Rock Springs, east on County Road 4-17 for 13 miles to the Jack Morrow Hills boundary.
About 3.5 miles east of the riding area and roughly 32 miles out from Rock Springs. This is the camping point — do not route here expecting to unload onto dunes.
Chilton Road branches off County Road 17 (BLM: County 4-17). The track into the dunes leaves Chilton Rd and runs north. Graded dirt, unsigned — watch for it rather than expecting a marker. reference point on the Chilton Rd corridor, supplied by Scott
The surrounding SRMA contains two Wilderness Study Areas with motorized restrictions — the open play area is only part of it
Petroglyph sites at White Mountain and Cedar Canyon are protected cultural resources
Wilderness Study Areas are CLOSED to vehicles — Sand Dunes WSA and Alkali Basin/East Sand Dunes WSA border the open play area. Know where the boundary is.
Show all 6 area-specific rules
📋 WYOMING — ORV PERMIT REQUIRED: $15 for the calendar year, and it is the SAME permit for residents and visitors. THERE IS NO RECIPROCITY — your home-state registration does not count. The sticker must be displayed.
🪖 WYOMING — operators and riders UNDER 18 must wear an approved helmet on designated ORV trails and areas.
Standard OHV rules (3)
Common equipment, registration and trail-use rules still apply.
⭐ RIDE TO THE HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARD, NOT THE LEGAL MINIMUM. What is written below is what the managing agency requires. A helmet, eye protection, a flag and proper gear are what get you home — wear them whether or not the law where you are riding insists on it.
📖 CHECK THE LAW YOURSELF — these requirements come from Wyoming State Parks — ORV Requirements. Rules change, and you are responsible for compliance: wyoparks.wyo.gov
🗺️ NO SIGNAL? TAKE AN OFFLINE MAP. BLM publish free GEOREFERENCED PDF maps that show your live GPS position with no cell service, in the Avenza Maps app or similar. Download the map for this area BEFORE you leave tarmac: www.blm.gov
Permits
Permits & registration
Permit and registration details
No fee. Wyoming ORV permit rules still apply — see the state requirements below. Non-fee area
State residents
Wyoming residents: an ORV permit is required for enrolled roads and routes and for designated trails 50 inches or under.
Out-of-state riders
Out-of-state riders: a Wyoming ORV permit is required. A temporary ORV use permit is $15.75.
Permit and registration rules change. Confirm current requirements with the managing agency before you ride — you are responsible for compliance.
Trip support
Fuel, food & local help
Local fuel notes (1)
Rock Springs is the supply town — fuel there before you turn north on US-191, then 13 miles east on County Road 4-17 to the boundary and about 32 miles out to the campground, with nothing in between.
Pump gas & diesel
Rock Springs, WY — nearest fuel and servicesfuel
About 30 miles south · There is NOTHING closer. Rock Springs is also the nearest emergency services. Fill up and stock up before you turn north — once you are in the Jack Morrow Hills you are a long way out.More
About 30 miles south · There is NOTHING closer. Rock Springs is also the nearest emergency services. Fill up and stock up before you turn north — once you are in the Jack Morrow Hills you are a long way out.
Area information is informational only and may be inaccurate or out of date. Verify access, weather, closures, permits and hazards before and during any trip. See Terms.
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