In the early 1980s, when I lived and worked in Nevada, I drove near Sand Mountain (as it was known back then) on many occasions. A coworker and I stopped there once and met several sand rail drivers who offered us a bit of excitement. It was one of the wildest rides of my life, but well worth the white knuckles (read my novel, Mobile Zoo Ghetto for a detailed account). And that ride gave me a chance to get a close-up look at the intricacies of that series of dunes. They are quite impressive, and well worth at least a short visit to get a sense of their size.

Back in the 1980s there were no fees, no rest rooms, no facilities, and wide open camping for the few visitors. Apparently the location has gone from about 5,000 visitors per year in 1980 to over 35,000 annual visitors now (in 2008). I imagine that the relative quiet we experienced back then is now shattered by a constant roar, except, perhaps, at night.

In the mid 1980s I visited the dunes one last time. It was only a short visit, but I got to explore the site with no one else around. I imagine that it would be hard to have that quiet experience today.

There is no drinking water anywhere near the location, so bring plenty, especially if you are going to stay for a while. The area is exposed and bright, with the sun and heat reflecting off the light colored sand grains. And, as you might expect, when the wind blows, there is lots of sand in the air. So be careful to protect modern electronic equipment that is susceptible from damage by dust and heat.

We did stop to visit the Sand Spring Pony Express Station site on a couple of occasions as well. It is closer to Highway 50. There is not much there but a few stone ruins, but it's a fun historical experience to see how they lived and to ponder the hardships of those who maintained and rode the Pony Express trail.