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Tens of thousands celebrate Easter weekend at Utah’s Little Sahara

Posted at 9:57 PM, Mar 30, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-30 23:57:19-04

JUAB COUNTY, Utah -- Tens of thousands of people are heading to Juab County this weekend.

The Easter Holiday is always the busiest weekend at the Little Sahara Recreation Area, but this weekend they're expecting the biggest crowd they've seen in years.

Off-road enthusiasts are gearing up for a great weekend as thrill seekers get lost in a sea of sand.

"Sand gets everywhere, any place you can think of on your body and more; it gets everywhere," said one teen visiting Little Sahara for the weekend.

With sunny skies and temperatures reaching the 70s, this is set to be the busiest weekend at the Little Sahara in years, with thousands trekking in their trucks, trailers and toys.

Mike Gates, the Fillmore Field Office Manager for the Bureau of Land Management, said 16,000 to 18,000 people were there Friday night and he expects that crowd to nearly double by Sunday.

But with 60,000 acres of sand, there's plenty of room to challenge the steep, sandy slopes.

"There's not many places in the United States you can come out and ride wherever you want," Gates said.

But with this sandy terrain and so many people, staffing here goes from six people to 80 during the holiday gathering. Law enforcement agencies from all over are cracking down on DUIs and making sure everyone is safe.

While it's the busiest weekend of the year, it's also historically the most dangerous. That's why ambulances and AirMed will be here throughout the weekend.