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Christmas Lake Sand Dunes
Bureau of Land Management

Location

Approximately 80 miles southeast of Bend and 80 miles north of Lakeview near the town of Christmas Valley.

To get there:
Follow State Highway 31 south from Bend about 60 miles and turn east on County Road 5-10 toward Fort Rock / Christmas Valley. After about 20 miles turn left (east) on 5-14 to the community of Christmas Valley. Continue east past Christmas Valley approximately 10 miles, then turn left (north) on 5-14D and go 8 miles to a "T". Turn right on 5-14E, and follow it until you see signs for the Sand Dunes.

Description

Christmas Lake Sand Dunes contains over 11,000 acres of sand dunes with easy to most difficult riding opportunities. The dunes are composed of ash and pumice which blew into the area over 7,000 years ago when Mount Mazame erupted, forming Crater Lake. Nearby is the Lost Forest Research Natural Area, a unique forest of ponderosa pine that covers 8,960 acres.

Please note that vehicle use is restricted in the Lost Forest and part of the dunes to those roads that are marked with "Open Road" signs. Fossil Lake is fenced and signed as "Closed to Vehicles". The bare sand dunes are "Open" to vehicle use.

Fees

There are no fees at this location.

Facilities

Parking is available. Additional facilities are not available at this location. Please bring your own firewood, as cutting or gathering firewood is prohibited at Christmas Lake Sand Dunes and the nearby Lost Forest.

Trail Use

Open to Class I, Class II, and Class III vehicles.

Comments

Season

Open all year. We suggest using 4-wheel drive during the winter and spring as the road to the parking area can become very muddy and is hard to traverse.

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