BEST SAND RIDING LOCATION

[Dune Dude]

I know it is not an all encompassing list but, it does represent the major riding areas in the country.
Vote for your best. 

[DuneJunkie]

23 views and no replies...............

well, I will throw some gas on these smoldering coals.............

I voted Winchester Bay............best all around riding, big open areas that are flat for beginners or kids........big hills with many tree shots for people looking for a challange..........

however, so many people ride there, it can get CRAZY on big weekends............

[Dune Dude]

Come on people!  Where are all of the votes?  Where are the informed opinions and witty vacation remembrances?
(Dude is that even a word... remembrances?)
Must be, it was in the spell checker.

[Towman 1]

I have been to all the sand areas in Oregon and I voted for St.Anthonys. I love that place. I hope to be going back again this year.

[hdrider]

 I don't know which is the best,, I havn't been to hardly any of them. But I do know from what I have heard is that St Anthony is the place that I want to experience the most.

[RTOYZ]

I would like to plan a club trip to St. Anthony's for 2008. Who's in. 

[DuneJunkie]

2008 may be a tough year for us..............it is the year that I transfer Duty Stations.........we are not sure where we will be transfered to, or when in 2008............so, we are keeping our fingers crossed to stay on the coast near the sand..............

we will know more in dec & jan.............

[Dune Dude]

What makes the Dunes at St. Anthony, ID, such a great place?

[PDP Shane]

If my buddies and I get an itch to ride , but don't want to make a 2 1/2 hour drive to Florance , we will just go to Afterburner's favorite place..... Sand Lake    . It's alright if you want to ride for a couple hours , but you see everything in the first five minutes . I'll agree with D.J. , I like winchester as well .

[hdrider]

 The wife and I have been talking about St Anthony in 2008... so we would be in. Also Rob from Smith Sandcars has been taking about it also.

[Dune Dude]

We need more votes!  105 views and only 13 votes?

Come on people.  It doesn't hurt to vote.  No one will make fun of you.  Your vote is anonymous.  And the ones we did find out they voted for someplace we didn't like, only received wedgies.
(VP, you can have a wedgie without voting) 

Still, someone needs to splain to me what makes St. Anthony's so special? 

[DuneJunkie]

never been to St. A's, but, here is a video that will make you want to go!

http://www.sandwizards.com/Videos/Sa1.wmv

[duraraptor]

Very cool DJ .  Makes me want to start packing the trailer

[DuneJunkie]

I wish I was in that video......maybe next year........

[Dune Dude]

The 250 Trail Blazer would totally rock Choke Cherry Hill.  22 hp of the most wicked (461 lb) 2-stroke on the planet.  Of course adjusted for St. Anthony's altitude is probably only 5hp.  It might not even make it out of the trailer?   

[duraraptor]

I personally would love to go.   If I planned ahead far enough we could make the trip.  So let's start planning.

[Dune Dude]

I believe some of the faithful are planning a trip in 2008.

[RTOYZ]

We will be planning a trip to St. Anthony's in 08. We just need to get together and set up the date.

[Dune Dude]

VP, do you think you'll be out by then?

[DuneJunkie]

I didn't know the judge would let you out of state..........after the van incident and all.........

[RTOYZ]

I would claim Temporary Insandity....

[DuneJunkie]

I would claim Temporary Insandity....

Good call VP! 

[YFZ 450 Quadaholic]

I have ridden the Oregon Dunes since 1984.  Of all the Oregon Dunes, North Bend is my favorite - with Winchester Bay a close second.  I have made the trip to Glamis (camping off of Gecko Rd. each time) 5 times since 1997.  For those of you who have not made the trip (it's a long one) it is by far the mecca of all dunes!  150,000 + people on holiday weekends.....yet when you are out riding; it is NOT crowded.  The place is so huge you have to see/experience it to believe it.  I have heard great things about St. Anthony's too - and will be making my first trip with our group on June 10 - 14th, 2007.  Can't wait!
-James

[Sandflicker]

We haven't been everywhere, but like Winchester most because of the versatility of the terrain.  With our boy you have to pick your trails wisely.  Also, it's the only place with full hook ups (same price as no hook ups other places) and they let you ride to the dunes.  Walking distance to shops and restaurants.  For our family best over all.

However, having said this, my wife loves us to stop off at one of the other places to ride the beach.

Sandflicker

[hdrider]

 All I know about St Anthony is pure hear say but a fellow I spoke with down at Street Vibrations in Reno said the hills are so tall that you hit them in top gear and by the time your at the top your geared down to the bottom.
 Bowls are so big you cruise them at 80 !! And the beer is sooo cold that,,,, wait,, I might be getting carried away 

 

[2fun]

Sorry, I must have missed this post earlier!!

Anyways, St. Anthony gets my vote!!

The dunes over there are absolutely AWESOME!

Very steep, very tall, and they go on for close to 30 miles (from one end to the other)

Choke cherry, devils dune, and dead horse bowl are some of the more challenging hills out there!

And yes, you can easily hit 80 MPH going from one bowl to the next!!

BEWARE though!!  At 5,000 ft elevation, you are not going to have NEAR the power you have here at the Oregon coast!!

Oh, and the best time to go is usually in mid to late June.  Earlier, and you risk snow.  Later and the temps are too dang hot!!

I have been going religiously every year for 5 years in a row!!  Definately worth the 13.5 hour 750 mile drive!!

[Dune Dude]

St. Anthony is in the lead.  Any other voters out there?

[Sandflicker]

If just looking at Oregon - I would have to say Winchester won out...

[YFZ 450 Quadaholic]

Just got back from my first trip to St. Anthony's.  It was a blast!  We stayed at Desert Oasis Campground.  Even though it was a lot of fun, Glamis still beats it by far.  You guys gotta go!
A strong word of caution:  St. Anthony;s is not for beginners.  You really have to watch the exposed lava rock.  As we all know, dunes can look like they are flat when cruising across the open sand.....but when a 10-15' drop off @ 45 degrees creeps up on you (like heading south on the Florence Duens for example) - at the bottom of MANY of these spots at St. Anthony's is this exposed lava rock.  Accidents/injuries just waiting to happen!
Also, it is very easy to dent your rims.  We had 3 of 10 Quads get the inside of the rear rims dented by the partially exposed rock in the whoops.  These are hard to see as you are riding; but we finally figured out where it was happening.  It had us stumped for a while until we back-tracked to locate the problem areas.
Go to http://www.duneratt.com/  This is a site devoted specificaly to St. Anthony's
Also here is an excellent map that was very helpful in traversing the dunes  http://www.duneratt.com/DuneMap.php

Oh yes....we found some VERY cool jumps.  From step-ups to table tops to the long sweepers over the crest of a rolling dune and landing on the down-side.  These jumps are located just north of the Egin Lakes Campground.
On a YFZ 450, you are rapped out in 2nd gear with your body weight just slightly over the bars to make it to the top of Choke Cherry (especially on the south east side of the hill while climbing up between the shrubs).  It was a true 45 degree angle at this spot!
-James

[Towman 1]

Well to me that is what made St Anthonys a great place to ride. The lava rock at the bottoms of some of the dunes makes for some more interesting places to play. Sure, if you go as fast as you can across the dunes and come across these rocks, you will get hurt. But, I alwayse ride the area over first and remember what I see before I get crazy. But thats just me.

[YFZ 450 Quadaholic]

Hopefully its not "just you."  I would hope that we all do as you describe and check out the area prior to playing hard & whipping it around.  I know that I certainly do!
The fact of the matter is that anyone who just takes off full speed across the dunes without doing so is one of two things:
1.  A fool.
2.  Someone who simply has no idea how the little (and big) drop offs can sneak up on you.
So the point of my post regarding St. Anthony's was to say that we had a great time and to (hopefully) spread the word out to those who have not been there....that these conditions exist; and to be aware of it ahead of time in the interest of safety.
-James

[Dune Dude]

The Sheriffs Dept for out in the Oregon Dunes claims that most accidents occur within the first few minutes of a person riding out in the sand.  They are so excited to finally hit the dunes after a long trip that they go like "nuts" thinking that the sand is the same as it was 2 months age when they were there last.  However, most of us know that the sand can change dramatically overnight.  Never assume that the dune you are riding to the top falls of gently on the other side.  Take Towman's advice and always scout the area first from all sides at a slow speed before opening up the ATV to clean outs those plugs. 
Ride safe and have fun...

DD

[Glamisduner]

   Glamis is King!


Just returned from 5 day trip. Best T-day in 6 years.
The place was ROCKIN'!