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SAND HOLLOW STATE PARK — Sand Hollow State Park is a popular retreat for locals and tourists alike due to its warm weather and nice sandy shoreline. It has also caught the attention of the World Off Road Championship Series, and this weekend, the event will be held at the park for the fifth consecutive year.
Located about 15 minutes from St. George, Sand Hollow State Park was dedicated in 2003, making it one of Utah’s newest state parks, according to Sand Hollow Complex Park manager Laura Melling. However, at 20,000 acres, the park is also one of the largest and most-visited parks in the state, according to the park website.
Due to the setup of piping the water from the nearby Virgin River, pumping it through a well and having the sand naturally filter it, the water in the 600-acre reservoir is culinary grade, Melling said. Along with naturally clean water, the state park is only one of two in Utah that has an island in its reservoir. Melling said the Desert Pearl Island got its name after a public contest was held.
The beautiful red rock park not only has nice, sandy beaches, but the park is located adjacent to Sand Mountain, a Bureau of Land Management area with large, natural sand dunes. Sand Mountain has 1,600 acres of unrestricted riding area for ATVs and dirt bikes and because of the close proximity to the state park facilities, it had been used as a circuit course in the WORCS Race for the past several years, Melling said.
“I had a guy tell me yesterday that, ‘It may not be the hardest course, and it’s certainly not the easiest, but it’s definitely the prettiest,’ ” she said. “It’s a sport that’s growing. There are more people competing each year. They have quite a following of spectators with it.”
The WORCS Race includes different classes of side-by-side, ATV and motocross heats. Each race begins and ends at Snow Canyon State Park and lasts roughly 45 minutes, Melling said.
The park has two campgrounds — West Side and Sand Pit — with a total of 80 campsites. Both campgrounds have showers and running water available and a mix of primitive sites and areas with full hook-ups for RVs and trailers. Several of the campsites also offer a cement pad, grill and table.
The West Side Campground is completely reserved for the WORCS Race competitors and spectators, but the park also allows camping on the beach. However, the shoreline camping is limited this year due to the high water level, Melling said.
Along with watching the races, the park also offers great fishing with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish available in the reservoir. A park concessionaire rents fishing boats, jet skis, ski boats, pontoons, four-wheelers and side by sides.
“You don’t have to bring your own toys — you can get it all here at the park,” Melling said.
The WORCS Races began Thursday and runs Friday from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
