JUAB COUNTY, Utah — This Easter weekend, the Bureau of Land Management is expecting more than 15,000 people to visit the sand dunes at Little Sahara Recreation Area.
“It’s Utah’s sandbox,” said BLM district manager Mike Gates. “It’s a fun place to go out and ride.”
“It’s a popular weekend for folks to come out and recreate,” BLM public affairs specialist Hannah Lenkowski added. “It’s a big family and friend event that’s been a tradition for quite some time. The off-highway vehicle community really enjoys getting together and catching up.”
But workers say with the fun comes danger. Each year they say they prepare for injuries by teaching visitors driving safety.
“With sand dunes, oftentimes you can’t see what’s on the backside, so we encourage you to be really cautious coming around them,” said Lenkowski.
READ: UHP catches dozens of drivers speeding at 100+ near Little Sahara
“We work closely with the Juab County Sheriff, emergency services, and with Utah State Parks,” said Gates. “We collectively work together to help the public stay safe and to encourage them to have the proper protective equipment.”
This year, the BLM made a new addition to their safety measurements.
“We have a new sand car for law enforcement and search and rescue purposes,” said Lenkowski. “It has a Corvette engine with 400 horsepower that allows us to quickly get into those dunes in the back and extract as needed.”
BLM workers say they caution drivers going forward.
“We just ask the public recreate responsibly and stay safe,” said Gates.
