Sand Mountain: A Singing Sand Dune Hidden in Northern Nevada
Sand Mountain is in the Salt Wells Basin and exists a little less than 28 miles east of Fallon, NV, on Highway 50.
This mountain of sand is known as a “singing” sand dune, which comes from the sound that the sand makes. The size of the sand creates a whistling noise because of the winds at it’s altitude.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, Sand Mountain formed when ancient Lake Lahontan dried up about 4,000 years ago-which covered up most of the Great Basin.
The sands accumulated when the winds carried what would have been considered beach sand and it settled at the base of a mountain.
The recreation area is owned by BLM and you can must have a permit which you can purchase on site.
Every holiday is an excuse for off-roader’s to take on the beast. Whether that means taking out the dirt bike, quads, dune buggy’s or a couple of old skateboards.
As a safety precaution, riders are encouraged to have flags and lights to help avoid any type of collisions from happening.
Sand Mountain is a desert oasis that Nevada has but it seems like most people don’t know about. Other singing sand dunes reside in places like Qatar and Namibia, but luckily, we have this one right in our backyard.