Bruneau Dunes State Park Is Weird And Should Not Exist

The Bruneau Sand Dunes are a Southern Idaho destination that I have heard people talk about for more than a decade and I had never been there, until this last weekend. I had heard stories of the mountains of sand, people sledding down the dunes, and playing in the small lake. But those stories didn't really prepare us for the sight when you get your first glimpse of the sand dunes.

Bruneau Sand Dunes In Southern Idaho

The mountains of sand look so out of place that they would have to be man-made. But, these dunes have stood in the valley for thousands of years and were established in 1967 as a park in 1967. Check them out in the gallery below. The tallest part of the dunes stands around 470 feet high, which is a lot more sand than I expected. The dunes are impressive, but there is a lot more to do at the park too.

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Sledding At Bruneau Sand Dunes

We had a fun day at the park, but we did learn that our regular snow sleds were no good on the hills. The only success we had was using snowboards to get down the sandy slopes. You can rent sandboards from the visitor center so you'll probably have better luck than we did if you use those. I do guarantee though that the Bruneau Dunes would be most excellent during the winter. The lake was cold so none of the kids were willing to get in and play but I'd bet the cold waters are more inviting on hot summer days rather than early spring or late fall days. There are a few small ponds around the area. The ones we saw were full of tadpoles and the water felt good on the kids' feet.