Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.jpg
The sand that makes up the pink-colored dunes is derived from the Navajo Sandstone
USA Utah relief location map.svg
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Location of Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah
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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (the United States)
Location Kane, Utah, United States
Coordinates 37°2′16″N112°43′13″W / 37.03778°N 112.72028°W / 37.03778; -112.72028
Area3,730 acres (15.1 km2) [1]
Elevation6,000 ft (1,800 m) [2]
Established1963 [2]
Visitors52676(in 2011) [3]
Governing bodyUtah State Parks

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a state park in southwestern Utah, United States, located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab, south and west of U.S. Highway 89 in Kane County. The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs.

Contents

The dunes are formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. High winds passing through the notch between the Moquith and Moccasin Mountains pick up loose sand particles and then drop them onto the dunes as a result of the Venturi effect. The dunes are estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old. [2]

The park allows camping, hiking, off-road vehicle driving, and photography. There is a conservation area of 265 acres (1.07 km2), and the total grounds include 3,370 acres (13.6 km2). It was established as a Utah state park in 1963.

Sandboarding is also a popular activity, sandboards and sand sleds can be rented directly at the park. [4]

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima) is endemic to the dunes, being found nowhere else in the world. [5] [6] The park also contains most of the remaining individuals of the rare plant known as Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias welshii), a federally listed threatened species. [7]

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<i>Asclepias welshii</i> Species of plant

Asclepias welshii is a rare species of milkweed known by the common name Welsh's milkweed. It is native to southern Utah and northern Arizona, where there are four known occurrences remaining. Most of the plants occur in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, where the habitat has been degraded in many areas by off-road vehicle use. It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.

<i>Cicindela albissima</i> Species of beetle

Cicindela albissima, commonly called the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle is a species of tiger beetle endemic to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southern Utah, United States. It was originally described by Rumpp in 1962 as the subspecies Cicindela limbata albissima, but mitochondrial DNA, along with the species' morphological and geographical distinctiveness, have shown that it is a separate species. C. albissima can be distinguished from other Cicindela species by its restricted range and lack of pigmentation on its elytra.

<i>Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis</i> Subspecies of beetle

Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis, commonly known as the Northeastern beach tiger beetle, is the largest subspecies of Eastern beach tiger beetle. In 2012, Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis was reclassified under the name Habroscelimorpha dorsalis dorsalis, but the names are used synonymously in recently published literature. Fitting to its name, the Northeastern beach tiger beetle dwells along the U.S. northeast coast in small sand burrows. The beetle is diurnal and can be spotted by its light tan coloring with dark lines and green hues on its thorax and head.

References

  1. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes General Management Plan" (PDF). Utah State Parks. February 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park: About the Park". Utah State Parks. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  3. "Utah State Park 2011 Visitation" (PDF). Utah State Parks Planning. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
  4. ""Sandboarding at Coral Pink Sand Dunes"" . Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  5. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima)". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  6. "Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle". Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  7. "Asclepias welshii". Center for Plant Conservation. September 28, 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010.