Learning Sand Surfing at the Base of the Wind River Mountains

South of the snowcapped Wind River Mountains in Wyoming, which are part of the Rocky Mountain Range, the cool, rugged terrain full of meadows and mountain lakes turns into desert — the Red Desert, to be specific. Here you’ll find the second largest active sand dune in the world: Killpecker Sand Dunes. It’s a wilderness study area comprising about 109,000 acres, stretching 55 miles from the Green River Basin across the Continental Divide into the Great Divide Basin, where scientists monitor the movement of sand dunes and study how they’re stabilized. It’s also a haven for sand surfers, which is why I’m here.

I’ve never surfed at all, even in the traditional sense. But something about soft sand to fall on and no worries of sharks or sharp rocks appeals to me. Here there are 11,000 acres designed for “open play,” where beginner to expert sand surfers, sledders and UTV fiends can rip through the dunes, some of which reach 100 feet high. I arrive in the early afternoon, the sun right over the dunes beaming down on the sand like a torch. The sand is hot to the touch, meaning I have to keep my socks and shoes on so I don’t get burnt. It’s probably not the most ideal time of day to be out here, but early morning adventures elsewhere in the area delayed me to Killpecker, so better to just lather on sunscreen, hydrate and embrace it.

I trek through the sand, slowly walking up a dune to find a good spot. I always forget how much harder it is to move in sand, and suddenly working out five days a week means nothing as I huff and puff up a dune. I’m trying to find a nice, quiet place to base myself, which is pretty easy today, as there aren’t a lot of people out and all I can see are dunes for miles. Off in the distance, I hear a low roar and see a UTV with a roll cage climbing up a steep sand dune. It has a flag waving high off the back to warn others where it’s at, and I decide an area away from the UTV with a flat surface near a slope is a good starting point.

Don't be fooled by the kid — it's difficult. — Don’t be fooled by the kid — it’s difficult.

Sweetwater County Travel & Tourism

First, I stab a tall, orange flag in the sand in my area so that others can see me and avoid my spot. It’s always a good idea to bring a flag or bright cones with you. I set my board down in the sand along with some wax pucks and begin an attempt to wax the sandboard. I don’t actually know how to wax a sandboard, but I’ve seen TikTok videos of women making diagonal crisscross patterns of wax across their surfboards, so I mimic that. I later learn that a simple zig-zag pattern across the bottom of the sandboard works well, finishing it with a zig-zag pattern in the opposite direction and a quick drag in the sand to buff the bottom before each ride. I wasn’t too far off, which is a win in my book.

With the board waxed, I lay it down in the sand and strap my feet in. Some boards allow you to wear your shoes while sand surfing, but the foot straps on my board are tight, so I take my shoes off, keeping my socks on to protect my feet. I strap my feet in and make my way from the flat surface towards a gentle slope. I wiggle the board back and forth to get to the slope and lean forward, hoping to gain momentum. Nothing happens though, and I look frozen in time, leaning forward in a surfing position as if I were waiting on someone to take my picture. I need a bit of a steeper slope, so I hop a few times across the sand to a steeper spot and again, lean forward for momentum, the board’s nose pointing downhill. Again, I’m not going anywhere, so I hop around, trying to get the board away from the flat sand onto a slope. For a while, it’s a battle of wiggling, leaning and hopping. I’m looking more like dancer at this point rather than a sand surfer.

Eventually, I break away from the flat surface, finding a slope that slowly allows me to glide over the sand. As the board starts to glide on its own, I bend my knees more, putting my weight on my back foot a bit. My main goal is to not fall, as that’s the last thing I want to do as a 33-year-old with a fear of breaking a leg or arm. With my hands out towards my sides, I surf down a dune, mimicking what I think an ocean surfer would do. It’s slow going, but I feel like I’m flying in the moment. (Video footage would later prove otherwise.) After about 20 feet, my board comes to a stop in the sand, and I stand up to give my quads a bit of a break. I didn’t fall, but I didn’t get very far, either. So off I go again, trudging up the dunes to get a good angle, strapping in, doing the wiggle-hop-wiggle and surfing down the dunes again and again.

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The most strenuous part of it all is walking back up the dunes after each ride. I take small breaks on flat patches of sand, hydrating and looking around the landscape. Nearby, another sand surfer disappears off a ledge, attempting to ride a very steep dune. I walk over to check on her and she says she’s fine, hair wild and covered in sand. Eventually, I figure out how to get different angles while surfing, which is simply putting pressure in my toes or heels, depending on which direction I want to go. I also figure out that if I need to stop, falling on my butt with the board out in front of me is easiest, rather than falling forward or backward with the board still pointed downhill.

After a few hours baking in the sun, I decide to call it a day. I shuffle back towards the truck, sand stuck to me all over, dragging the board and my flag through the sand as I go. My shoes are full of sand, which makes me feel 100 times heavier after surfing. As I get to the car, I drop the board in the sand and plop into a camping chair to rest. I’m exhausted and realize that while sand surfing was less of an impact for me than water surfing, it’s still tough. I glance back towards the dunes as I watch others attempt to sand surf. Some have selfie sticks in front of them recording their surfing attempts. Others are using sand sleds instead, pushing each other down the dunes for speed. I feel a bit defeated that I didn’t gain a lot of speed and rip through the sand as I wanted, but then I see all the other beginners out there, wiping out and cheering each other on as they go turtle speed down a small slope, just like I did. I smile, looking out across the horizon at the desert, thinking about how weird it is that I just surfed for the first time not in Hawaii, not in Australia or some far-flung island, but in Wyoming.

Know Before You Go:

You can buy a sandboard at the Explore Rock Springs & Green River Visitor Center (1641 Elk Street) in Rock Springs, Wyoming, about 30 miles south of Killpecker Sand Dunes. The purchase comes with the board (or sand sled), board wax and a safety flag. You can also rent a board from Rockin Rollin Rentals & Sales.
The Open Play Area at Killpecker Sand Dunes is ADA accessible and a non-fee area, and there’s a vault toilet for public use, plus fire rings.
Cell service is very limited in this area, so make sure you have plenty of water, a four-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance and thick tires (plus a spare tire), and a travel companion. If going solo, tell someone where you’re headed and when you plan on returning.
Beginners should wear a helmet, plus elbow and knee pads.
Try going to surf the dunes in the early morning or evening rather than the middle of the day when the sand is hottest.
Bring snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses and plenty of water.
Use flags or cones for sand surfing so UTVs and other surfers can see you.