Utah’s Sand Hollow State Park popular place to camp, fish, play

One of Utah’s newest and most popular recreation sites, Sand Hollow State Park near Hurricane offers year-round fun and adventure in a scenic setting.

It attracts campers, boaters, anglers, off-road enthusiasts, hikers and horseback trail riders, including many visitors from Southern Nevada.

Sand Hollow is just east of Interstate 15, about 135 miles from Las Vegas. Follow I-15 north into southwestern Utah. Stay on the freeway through St. George, then take exit 16 onto state Route 9 toward Hurricane. About 5 miles past the exit, turn south on Sand Hollow Road. Drive 3 miles and turn left at the park entrance.

Open since 2003, the sprawling state park is one of 43 in the Utah park system. Ten of these prime recreation areas are located in southwestern Utah. Sand Hollow State Park sets aside 20,000 acres for recreational use, including 15,000 acres of Sand Mountain, an area characterized by undulating dunes of red sand. A dam captures water piped over from the reservoir at nearby Quail Creek State Park to create Sand Hollow Reservoir.

Visitors to Sand Hollow State Park pay a day-use entry fee of $10, or $5 for ages 62 and older. Winter hours in effect through March 31 are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., when the park gate is closed.

Sand Hollow has two developed campgrounds suitable for tents and RVs. The Westside Campground has full RV hookups for $28 per night. Camping in Sand Pit Campground on the south shore of the reservoir costs $18, or $25 with partial hookups of water and power. Both developed campgrounds contain restrooms, showers, tables, grills, fire pits and water access. Scattered primitive camping areas with tables and pit toilets are located on the south and east sides of the reservoir. Campers in the primitive areas pay $15 and may use the showers in the other campgrounds for a $2 fee.

Camping reservations are recommended, especially for weekends and holidays, even in winter. Unreserved campsites are available on a first-come basis. Reserve sites online or by calling 800-322-3770 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A reservation fee of $8 will be charged.

Many off-highway vehicle enthusiasts use the Sand Pit area since it is close to an OHV staging area and a tunnel to Sand Mountain. OHV vehicle riding is permitted only on the south and east sides of the reservoir. OHV rentals are available on-site from a park concessionaire.

The large reservoir attracts all kinds of watercraft. Popular water sports include waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, paddleboarding and swimming.

Sand Hollow State Park is popular with fishermen. It has become a hotspot for large-mouth bass and bluegill.

Many frequent park visitors take advantage of on-site storage facilities for boats and RVs.

Because of quagga mussels and other foreign pests, out-of-state watercraft must undergo decontamination before launching. Decontamination is available daily from November through April. Once processed, boats may be used on other area waters during the same trip. Boats stored on-site need to be processed once or as laws and regulations dictate.

Margo Bartlett Pesek’s Trip of the Week column appears on Sundays.