Five ATV-Free Dunes You Can Play On

INFO: 231-326-5134, http://www.nps.gov/slbe.

· WHERE: Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nags Head, N.C.

WHY GO: The tallest natural dunes on the East Coast -- three peaks, rising as high as 90 feet -- are the perfect place to watch the sun set, minute by minute, over the Outer Banks or to gaze down from a hang glider onto the Atlantic surf a block away.

WHAT TO DO: Besides hang gliding and hiking (on the open sand or on one- and 1.5-mile nature trails), you can ride a sandboard (bring your own), fly kites or build sand castles. Kitty Hawk Kites (877-359-8447, http://www.kittyhawkkites.com) gives hang-gliding lessons on the dunes, starting at $89 for a three-hour introduction and five solo flights, including the necessary permit. After a hot day on the dunes, dunk into the sound at the southwestern corner of the 420-acre park. Jockey's Ridge also offers 20-minute sunset talks about how the dunes formed and the legends they have inspired weekdays during the summer. (In August, they start at 7:45 p.m.) Park entry and activities are free.

INFO: 252-441-7132, http://www.jockeysridgestatepark.com.

· WHERE: Monahans Sandhills State Park, Monahans, Tex.

WHY GO: Where else in the United States can you see camels trekking across the sand?

WHAT TO DO: Through the Texas Camel Corps (254-675-4867, http://www.texascamelcorps.com), you can explore the natural history and prehistory of the dunes in the style of a Bedouin. The two-day, 11-mile trips in spring and fall teach trekkers to load, unload and work with the beasts of burden. Sleeping is in tents, hauled by the camels along with all the other gear, or on the dunes, which rise as high as 70 feet in the 3,840-acre park. Cost is $400 per person ($200 for children 14 and younger), including meals, guides and park fees. On the cheaper side, other park activities include camping (for tents and RVs, with hookups; $13 per night), sand surfing and horseback riding. Park entry is $3 per day, free for kids 12 and younger. Sand toboggans and disks can be rented at park headquarters.

INFO: 432-943-2092, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/monahans_sandhills.

-- Margaret Roth