Trail Overview
Ruby Ranch Road begins as a wide gravel road that remains obstacle-free until reaching the main White Wash Sand Dunes OHV area. There are a few wash crossings on your way to the dunes, some with deep mud ruts. Once at the Dunes OHV Area, there are other obstacles. The off-highway vehicle track features cracks, erosion, possible water and river crossings, and deep soft sand. This area also has enough space for designated campsites. A nearby river has a muddy, soft bottom that was not navigable at the time of this mapping due to recent storms. Cellular service is limited to one bar LTE in some areas. The trail provides numerous massive campsites and staging areas along its length, making it popular for extended recreational stays. The White Wash Sand Dunes are part of the Moab, Utah, desert landscape and showcase typical sand dune formations of the Colorado Plateau. The area is heavily used for OHV recreation and camping, with open gravel stretches leading into shifting dunes. Vegetation is sparse, dominated by desert shrubs adapted to the arid environment. The sandy riverbed nearby demonstrates seasonal water flow, though it is generally impassable due to the soft, muddy substrate.
Difficulty
This is a semi-maintained trail that leads to the popular White Wash Sand Dunes OHV Area. Along this trail, there are no major obstacles, though there were, at the time of this mapping (Sept 2025), two wash crossings with deep mud ruts and wet, soggy mud. Once you get to the OHV Area, there are other obstacles; please see the description.
History
The White Wash Sand Dunes near Moab were formed from sand eroded from surrounding sandstone hills, composed of ancient, fossilized sand dunes. This geological process, which occurred hundreds of millions of years ago, involved the conversion of a near-shore environment into white, sand-like sandstone. While there is no known specific history of human events at the dunes, they are a significant recreational area known for off-road vehicle use, including OHVs, trucks, and Jeeps.
