Monahans Sandhills State Park: Sledding West Texas Sand Dunes in the Fall

Out in the Permian Basin, between the oil pumps and the mesquite, there’s a stretch of pale sand dunes that looks more like a postcard from somewhere else. Monahans Sandhills State Park is West Texas’s giant sandbox, and fall is one of the best times to go.

The park covers 4,717 acres of dunes in Ward and Winkler counties, just outside the town of Monahans. TPWD puts it about a half-hour drive southwest of Odessa, and the park says Monahans is 5 miles away, Odessa 31 and Midland 55. From Dallas–Fort Worth, plan on roughly five and a half hours west on I-20. From El Paso it’s about three and a half hours east.

What makes these dunes special

According to TPWD, the park is just a small piece of a dune field that runs about 200 miles from south of Monahans west and north into New Mexico. Plants hold most of those dunes in place, but many inside the park are still active, meaning the wind keeps reshaping them with the seasons. Some stand up to about 50 feet tall.

One of the odder plants is the shin oak, sometimes called Havard oak. It’s a fully grown oak that usually tops out under 4 feet tall, so you’re walking over a tiny forest. It still drops plenty of acorns. TPWD also notes that fresh water sits close to the surface under the sand and sometimes pools in low spots between dunes, which is why wildlife does well in such dry country.

Things to do: slide, roam and watch

• Sand surfing. The park rents sand discs at headquarters from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Haul one up a dune and slide down. There’s an after-hours return box at the pavilion if you stay late.
• Free-range hiking. The park has no marked trails. TPWD invites visitors to wander wherever they like, so pay attention to landmarks and keep track of where you parked.
• Horseback riding. There’s an 800-acre equestrian area with no marked trails, heavy sand and some brush. TPWD requires a negative Coggins test from the past 12 months, and the area has trailer parking, drinking water and three horse campsites.
• Dunagan Visitor Center. Exhibits cover the dunes’ plants, animals and human history, and big windows look out on a wildlife watering area.
• Picnics and sunsets. Shaded picnic tables sit near a windmill, and campers get some of the best sunsets in the region.

Wildlife and a little history

If you’re out at dawn or dusk near a damp spot between dunes, TPWD says you might see badgers, pack rats, kangaroo rats, javelinas or feral hogs. Jerusalem crickets cross the sand, too. And if lightning ever hits the dunes, it can melt the sand into a glassy tube called a fulgurite.

People have used this area for a very long time. TPWD’s park history says Native Americans were here as far back as 12,000 years ago, and Apache and Comanche groups later camped and gathered here, drawn by water under the sand plus acorns and mesquite beans. Spanish explorers reported the dunes more than 400 years ago. In the 1880s the Texas and Pacific Railway made Monahans a water stop, and oil arrived in the late 1920s. The park opened in 1957.

Why fall is the sweet spot

TPWD lists September through March as the park’s busy season, and it’s easy to see why. Summer dunes get dangerously hot, and TPWD warns that sand heats up fast in warm months. In fall, mornings are cool and afternoons are mild, which makes sledding and climbing a lot more fun. The park also says it often hits capacity and recommends reserving day passes and campsites ahead of time. You can book online through the Texas State Parks reservation system or by phone, up to 30 days out.

Bring more water than you think you’ll need, sunscreen, hats and shoes that can handle sand. The wind can kick up grit, so sunglasses help too.

Making a day of it

Monahans is right off I-20, so the park makes an easy break on a long West Texas drive, or a day trip from Odessa or Midland. Odessa and Midland have plenty of places to eat and stay if you’d rather not camp. If you like wide-open West Texas road trips, our Terlingua chili cook-off guide covers another trip out that way. Check the City of Monahans site for local information.

Hours, fees and rental details can change. Check the official park page before you head out.

It’s not every day you can sled down a sand dune in Texas and be back on the interstate by supper. Pack the cooler and go play in the sand.

Featured photo: Wing-Chi Poon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.