Monahans Sandhills State Park
State park in Ward County, in the Big Bend Country region. Established 1957. 4,717 acres.
Monahans Sandhills is 4,717 acres of sand dunes about half an hour southwest of Odessa, where the wind reshapes the dunes, sometimes overnight. There are no marked trails, so you can walk or ride horses anywhere. Rent sand discs at headquarters and slide down the dunes. The sand heats up fast in summer.
Things to do
Sled the dunes
Rent sand discs at headquarters, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Return them there, or use the after-hours box at the pavilion.
Explore on foot or horseback
With no marked trails, keep track of where you started. Riders can use the 800-acre equestrian area with a negative Coggins test from the past 12 months.
Dunagan Visitor Center
Learn about the dunes, and watch the wildlife area from the big windows.
Camping
There are 25 campsites with water and electricity and three equestrian campsites.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 25 | 8 | $15 |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian)Equestrian | 3 | 8 | $15 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- September to March
- January low
- 29°F
- July high
- 96°F
- Rain per year
- 12.3 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists September to March as the busy season. Summers are hot (the July average high is 96°F), and the dunes heat up quickly. The gate is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Monahans, TX 79756
(432) 943-2092
Open in OpenStreetMap (31.6188, -102.8121)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Midland | 1 hr 1 min | 50 mi |
| Lubbock | 3 hr | 145 mi |
| El Paso | 4 hr 13 min | 213 mi |
| Amarillo | 5 hr | 254 mi |
| Fort Worth | 6 hr 3 min | 329 mi |
| San Antonio | 6 hr 4 min | 295 mi |
Nearby parks
- Balmorhea State Park
- Big Spring State Park
- Davis Mountains State Park
- Indian Lodge
- Lake Colorado City State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Big Bend Country.
Questions people ask
Can you sled the dunes at Monahans Sandhills?
Yes. Rent sand discs at headquarters from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Are there trails at Monahans Sandhills?
No marked trails. You're free to explore the dunes on foot or horseback.
How far is Monahans Sandhills from Midland?
About an hour by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Monahans Sandhills at Sunrise.jpg by Wing-Chi Poon, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- USA - Texas - Monahans Sandhills State Park - 50510396401.jpg by Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0.
- USA - Texas - Monahans Sandhills State Park - 50508328371.jpg by Alexander Hatley, CC BY 2.0.
- Monahans Sandhills 1.JPG by Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Monahans Sand Surfing The Dunes (255793863).jpeg by Josh Spencer, CC BY 3.0.
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Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Monahans Sandhills has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Monahans Sandhills State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Monahans Sandhills State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Monahans Sandhills State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026