Home > Oregon > Sand Lake

Sand Lake

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Dune Map

Other Names

Sand Lake Recreation Area, Sand Lake Oregon, Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Sand Lake OHV Area, Sand Lakes, Sand Beach Campground, Fisherman's Day Use Area, East Dunes Camp Area, West Winds Camp Area, Whalen Island Counry Park, Tierra Del Mar, Cape Lookout, Siuslaw National Forest

Last Known Status

Open

This OHV area offers some beautiful coastline dunes with dispersed vegetation and lots of nearby sight seeing. You'll find mostly ATVs and buggies here, and a paddle tire is recommended for bikes.

The four main campgrounds in the area offer hundreds of campsites, many with shade, paved parking, picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, and drinking water. Campgrounds are congested with vehicle and ATV traffic night and day and are typically full on summer weekends.

Reservations can be made online for Sandbeach Campground. Camping at East Dunes and West Winds are on a first come, first serve basis. If you can't get a campsite, you'll need a recreation pass to camp on the beach. Do yourself a favor and hit these dunes mid-week.

Dune Area Map... Nearby ATV Dune Areas...

REGULATIONS

Permit Required	Yes	Oregon ATV Permit stickers required
Dates Open	Daily Year-Round
Other ATV Stickers Accepted	Yes	An operating permit issued for another state will be honored, but only if the issuing state also honors Oregon operating permits. (As of October 1, 2021, Oregon no longer honors stickers from Washington.) (AZ, CA, ID, IN, MO, NV, PA, SC, UT, VT)
Spark Arrestor	Yes	A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles.
Noise Limit	Yes (99 dB)
Whip Flags	Yes (108 inches)	Whip Flags Required For Safety Flags must be bright red, 8"x12", and 9 feet tall
Maximum Vehicle Width	No Restriction
Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes	Permitted
ATVs	Permitted
UTV & SXS	Permitted
4x4 & Jeeps (registered)	Permitted
Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered)	Permitted	Oregon ATV Permit stickers required OSP stickers required
2 Stroke Engines	No Restriction
MX Helmet Required	Youth Only	required for persons under 18 by state law (RiderPlanet strongly recommends helmets for all riders.)
Camping	Some Areas	(camp in developed sites only)
Campfires	Some Areas	(permitted in developed campsites only)
Night Riding	No	quiet hours after 10p.m.
Trail Blazing	Some Areas
Alcohol	Some Areas	prohibited on the dunes
Rule Enforcement	Some	Dedicated Rangers/Officers Armed OfficersJeep/SUV Patrol
Comment	Additional regulations apply to Sand Lake. Contact Hebo Ranger District for details.

TERRAIN

Approx Size	1,280 acres (2 sq mi)
Climate Type	Coastal
Elevation	0 to 200 ft.
Trail Maintenance	Not Marked, Not Rated, Not Maintained
Loose Dirt	None
Hard Pack	None
Sand	All	paddle or sand tire recommended for best experience
Mud	None
Dust	None
Rocks	None
Trees	Many	campgrounds have many trees
Steep Hills	Few
Water Crossings	None	can ride in the ocean
Small Jumps	Some
Large Jumps	Some
Berms	None
Sand/Gravel Pits	None
Single Track	None
Roads	None
Intersections	All
Rider Traffic	All
Shade	Few	most campsites have shade
Ranges/Gunfire	None
Hazards	Some	(hazards not marked) rider traffic, ocean cutaway dunes, mingling w/vehicle traffic
Novice	Mostly
Amateur	Some
Expert	Little

TYPE OF AREA

Area	Off-Road Dunes

Land	Nat Recreation

GPS POINTS

KEY SERVICES

Gasoline	1-5 Miles (NE)	Sandlake Grocery (503) 965-6152
Diesel	5-20 Miles (S)	Pacific City Shell & Grocery (503) 965-6772
Water	On Site	potable water
RV Hookup	1-5 Miles (S)	Whalen Island County Campground (503) 965-6085
RV Disposal	1-5 Miles (S)	Pacific City Campground (503) 965-6200
Campground	On Site
Conv Store	1-5 Miles (NE)	Sandlake Grocery (503) 965-6152

FEES & PASSES

Parking	(None)
Entry	(None)
Riding	(None)
Camping	Yes Tent: $25.00 RV: $25.00 Addtl. Vehicle: $8.00 Sandbeach Campground Fees
Comment	Golden Age/Access Passports pay half price, reservations for some sites accepted from May-September.

RATINGS

Pros	dunes are cool, some vegetation, ride on the beach, lots of nearby sight seeing
Cons	overcrowded, overcrowded riding & camping, not enough campsites for crowd
Our Rating	Good
Recommended Stay	1-2 Days Summer
Comments	(Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Nearest City

Tillamook, OR

Dune Map

From: Tillamook, OR
1) US Hwy 101 South from Tillamook for about 10.5 miles south of Tillamook
2) Turn right (west) on Sandlake Road
3) Follow Sandlake Road 4.3 miles
4) Turn left (south) to follow Sandlake Road (if you go straight, the road turns into Cape Lookout Road. Do not go straight.)
5) Go 1 mile and turn right (west) at the gas station
6) Follow road to the end. Staging & camping areas are well marked.