Sunday, August 12, 2007

If you'd rather feel the sand between your fingers and toes than beneath four wheels, a number of state and national parks can oblige with dunes to climb up, sled down, build castles on, even walk camels over. Here are five across the country that don't allow ATVs but do allow plenty of exploration.

· WHERE: Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, Barstow, Calif.

WHY GO: At 600 to 700 feet high, these dunes, covering nearly 29,000 acres, are the third-tallest in North America.

WHAT TO DO: Make them go "boom" -- run down the slopes to see if you can move enough sand to create the low rumble that sometimes is heard when enough sand grains with enough moisture in them slide down the slope. Park entry is free; camping for tents or motor homes, but with no utility hookups, starts at $12 per night.

INFO: 760-252-6100, http://www.nps.gov/moja.

· WHERE: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Mosca, Colo.

WHY GO: The tallest dunes in North America (650 to 750 feet) are surrounded by snow-tipped Rocky Mountain peaks rising 13,000 feet above sea level.

WHAT TO DO: Slide, ski or sled down the dunes. (A smooth, flat plastic sled, snowboard or skis work best; cardboard does not. Conditions are ideal after a rain; if it's very dry, don't count on catching a ride.) Other possibilities: sand castles, horseback riding, playing in Medano Creek at the foot of the dunes, camping (from $14 per night, for tents or motor homes; no utility hookups) and summer concerts hosted by Friends of the Dunes through August (719-378-6381, http://www.greatsanddunes.org), including an annual Castles, Kites and Concert event in June. Park entry is $3 per person, valid for one week; kids 15 and younger are free.

INFO: 719-378-6300, http://www.nps.gov/grsa.

· WHERE: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire, Mich.

WHY GO: The park, with 65 miles of Lake Michigan coastline on the upper third of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, has 400-foot-high dunes from which you can see Lake Michigan on one side and Glen Lake on the other. On a clear day you may even see Wisconsin, 50 miles across Lake Michigan.

WHAT TO DO: Climb up, then roll or run down. A sand-capable wheelchair is also available for use on an accessible trail. Visitors are welcome to use their own hang gliders between Nov. 1 and March 31. A popular activity year-round is flying remote-controlled gliders -- not just little toy planes, but aircraft with wingspans of five feet or more. Either type of powerless flight requires a permit, which is free and valid for a year. Park entry is $10 per vehicle, good for a week; camping (for tents and RVs, with hookups) starts at $5 per night.

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