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Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Sand Mountain, a peak in NevadaFamartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sand Mountain, a peak in Nevada
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.

Sand Mountain rises to 1,329 m in Nevada. Job Peak stands 2,660 m to the north-northeast, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Sand Springs Pony Express Station, a historic site 1.6 miles away. The Loneliest Road in America passes 2.4 miles off. 93 named places lie within 25 miles, 50 of them named summits.

About

The story

Sand Mountain is a singing sand dune 20 miles (32 km) east of Fallon, Nevada along U.S. Route 50. The dune is two miles long and 600 feet (180 m) high. The full sand field area is 3.25 square miles. The sand originates from the ancient Lake Lahontan, that for the most part dried up 9,000 years ago. Sand Mountain Recreation Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is open to off-highway vehicle use. The area is also the only home of the critically imperiled Sand Mountain blue butterfly. The ruins of the Sand Springs Station of the Pony Express are also located within the recreation area. Sport activities such as sandboarding and sand skiing can be practiced at the site.

Off-road vehicle rules

Camp only in designated areas. 8 feet (2.4 m) whip flags are required on all vehicles riding in the dunes. Do not burn wood containing nails, screws or other metal hardware. Burning tires is prohibited. Speed limit is 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) in camping areas. Possession or use of any glass cup or bottle is not allowed. Users must pay an area fee of $90 per year or $40 per week collected by the Bureau of Land Management. Avoid riding in areas closed to motor vehicles.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q7415839, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

The record

What the record says

Elevation
1329 m
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates39.30853, -118.39708

Overlooks nearby

Around it

93 named places within 25 miles

Peaks: 50
  • Pony Bob Peak: 3.8 mi
  • Roys Point: 9.0 mi
  • Black Knob: 11.1 mi
  • Sand Springs Peak: 11.2 mi
  • Wheat Peak: 11.5 mi
Springs: 11
  • Sand Springs: 2.3 mi
  • Rock Springs: 7.9 mi
  • La Plata Spring: 10.8 mi
  • Ripley Spring: 10.9 mi
  • Mud Hole Spring: 12.9 mi
Parks: 11
  • Sand Springs Pony Express Station Historical Marker: 2.5 mi
  • Project Shoal Monument: 7.5 mi
  • Pony Express Monument: 10.4 mi
  • Pony Express Monument: 11.9 mi
  • Fallon Nature Reserve: 20.4 mi
Ghost towns: 8
Cliffs: 5
Historic sites: 3
Attractions: 3
  • Nowhere Nevada: 15.4 mi
  • Shoe Tree: 22.0 mi
  • Oats Park Arts Center: 22.9 mi
Beaches: 1
  • S Line Reservoir Beach: 21.0 mi
Museums: 1
  • Churchill County Museum: 23.0 mi
On the horizon

Other summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Sand Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Job PeakNNE 24°2,660 m20.8 mi
Mount LincolnNNE 23°2,611 m18.1 mi
Carson Table SummitNNE 18°2,527 m16.9 mi
Fairview PeakESE 114°2,521 m14.3 mi
Table MountainNNE 18°2,521 m16.9 mi
Slaughter PeaksNNE 22°2,474 m15.9 mi
Shaly PeakNNE 20°2,464 m17.7 mi
Sand Springs Range CairnS 170°2,272 m14.3 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:5818:3019:06
June solstice05:2819:4420:24
September equinox06:4218:1718:52
December solstice07:1115:5216:34

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F343946516069777566534133
Precip in0.50.40.50.50.90.40.10.10.20.40.50.4

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Fallon Naas, 19 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/357549302

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