News Riding

Ride sand dunes in Kansas

For some good riding in Kansas check out the Syracuse Sand Dune Park in Syracuse. It features 1,300 acres of prime dunes open for riding.

Syracuse is just 15 minutes south of the Colorado border along Highway 50. A rancher had leased the dunes but the lease expired allowing the city to create the Syracuse Sand Dune Park in 2007.

The site features rolling hills, bowls and some fast flat areas that will appeal to sand drag enthusiasts.

There are no dunes higher than 50 feet. There is a 40-acre kid-friendly stocked fishing pond for enthusiasts to enjoy. A fishing license is required. Fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, crappie, catfish, carp and rainbow trout. Just a few hundred feet north, visitors will find the Arkansas River that originates in Colorado.

There are 14 hook-up camping stalls at the park and reservations can be made online. There is also primitive camping at the park. Parking fees are $25 a day for hook-up camping and $10 a day for dry camping.

Syracuse, with a population of around 1,800 people, has a grocery store, restaurants, gas stations, motel and more. Fuel can only be purchased in town because there are no pumps at the park.

Riders 17 years old and younger are required to wear helmets. All vehicles are required to have whip antennas with orange flags reaching 10 feet high from the ground up. Night riders are required to have both a headlight and tail light. No glass or alcoholic beverages are allowed on the dunes.

$10 annual off-highway vehicle permit is required for all unregistered vehicles. Park rates are $5 per driver, $100 for an annual pass for individuals and for a family pass $100 for the first member and $25 for each additional member under the age of 23.

Syracuse is on the western side of the state on U.S. 50 about 16 miles from the Colorado border.

Info: Syracuse Sand Dune Park, 55 West River Road, Syracuse, KS 67878. Phone: (620) 384-2480. Email: syracusesanddunes@yahoo.com Website: https://www.syracusesanddunespark.com/