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The Armchair Traveler Ritual
To truly transport yourself to this desert oasis: Turn up the heater in your room, grab an ice-cold glass of lemonade, and imagine the warm, gritty red sand between your toes before sliding into the cool, turquoise water!
🎵 Shauna's Soundtrack
To match the nostalgic, peaceful feeling of floating on glass-smooth water, I highly recommend opening a new tab and playing "The Vision" by Scott Buckley in the background while you read!
⚡ The Quick Scoop
The Vibe: A brilliant turquoise lake set against deep red sandstone and desert dunes. A perfect place for paddleboarding, cliff jumping, and kayaking!
The History: I first visited this spot 30 years ago when it was nothing but dry sand dunes. Watching it transform into a beloved reservoir has been an incredible journey.
Must See: Paddling out to the island in the center of the lake to explore the hidden coves and hike to the top for a panoramic view.
Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds for pure water magic!)
Some places hold a special magic because they are woven deeply into the story of our lives. For me, Sand Hollow is absolutely one of those places.
It has been a family-favorite destination for years, but my most vivid memory here actually took place nearly 30 years ago. Long before the turquoise water filled this basin, Todd and I came here to learn how to ride ATVs on the vast, beautiful sand dunes that once defined this entire landscape.
👇 Choose Your Path
The ATV Adrenaline Rush
Thirty years ago, this place was a sea of endless red sand. I remember taking that ATV class with Todd, feeling the nervous, scared thrill of trying to ride up those steep dunes. I was desperately trying to figure out exactly when it was time to turn, praying I could make the U-turn successful without rolling the ATV all the way down the sand hill! I was definitely nervous, but it was also incredibly exciting and such a massive adrenaline rush.
⏳ The 30-Year Time Jump
During that ATV trip, we stopped for lunch on a rocky outcrop. I vividly remember our tour guide sighing and telling us that we would likely be the very last tour through this area because it was being closed off to create a reservoir.
At the time, I was a little sad. I remember thinking, "How sad to lose this wild, rugged place." Fast forward 30 years. When I paddled my board out across the crystal-clear water and pulled up to the island, I realized I was standing on the exact same rock where we had eaten lunch three decades earlier!
Looking around, I realized how wrong I was to be sad. Sand Hollow is SO much better now, and the dry desert area so desperately needed this water. It is crazy to think that before, this area was just a forgotten corner of nowhere, and now people are rushing to get a spot of land to build close to this vibrant blue gem.
The massive blue jewel sitting right in the middle of the red desert.
The Island & The Heron
One of the absolute best characteristics of Sand Hollow is the incredible clarity of the water. You can see quite far down into the depths, and the gorgeous turquoise color against the bright red sand and rock is a photographer's absolute dream.
🏝️ Paddle to the Island
Don't Miss This: The best adventure at Sand Hollow is to paddle out to the large rock island in the middle of the reservoir. In the morning, the water is like smooth, glassy perfection for paddling out. Later in the day, the main lake definitely gets choppy, but you can always count on the little coves around the island remaining perfectly calm, offering relaxing peace away from the noise and the waves.
Poking around those hidden coves is my favorite thing to do. You never know what wildlife you might find hiding there! The little coves are now home to beautiful birds that never would have come to the dry dunes. There are always birds chirping and making lovely calls, and once, we even found a majestic heron hiding in the coves. That was AMAZING!
Our perfect, relaxing beach setup before launching onto the water.
The Pride Before the Sink!
My hubby Todd amazes me at how he can take something as simple as fishing and turn it into an extreme engineering adventure!
🚤 The "Brilliant" Invention
If you've read my Top 8 Lakes post, you know the terrifying, hilarious story of Todd's motorized kayak sinking to the bottom of the lake. Well, this Sand Hollow trip happened right before the sink!
He was SO proud and feeling incredibly confident in his amazing new setup. He had built this massive wooden board that he cut, painted, and rigged up to hold heavy batteries and two trolling motors. He had two foot controllers installed so his hands were completely free to fish at all times, and he even installed a special padded seat to protect his "boney bottom"! LOL!
I vividly remember his smile stretching from ear to ear. He was showing off his brilliant creation, loudly bragging about how fast he was zooming across the lake while I was paddling like crazy just trying to keep up with him! Eventually, I just gave up chasing his motorboat-kayak and went to enjoy the quiet coves and climb around the island. Little did we know that heavy wooden mount would be at the bottom of Quail Creek Reservoir just a short while later!
Fishing & Neighboring Quail Creek
Before the great sinking disaster, Todd actually had a fantastic fishing day here at Sand Hollow! Because the lake is quite shallow and incredibly hot in the summer, trout can't survive here (they have no deep, cool water to retreat to). Because of that, Sand Hollow is mostly filled with Bass.
Todd managed to catch two beautiful smallmouth bass with his fancy motorized rig! It was a white fish with an extremely mild flavor, and I thought it was quite tasty cooked up on the shore.
🐟 The Trout Alternative
If you are in the Hurricane area and you are really in the mood to catch trout instead of bass, you definitely need to check out Quail Creek Reservoir! Even though it is only about a 15-minute drive from Sand Hollow, it is just deep and cool enough that the state can stock it with trout.
(Just make sure your kayak doesn't sink while you're out there!)
The cooler, deeper waters of neighboring Quail Creek Reservoir.
Shauna's Blessing: Embracing Change
Sitting on that rock on the island, thinking about the sandy desert that used to be here, I realized something profound about the way we process the shifting seasons of our lives.
✨ The Water Will Come
Sometimes, we mourn the loss of how things "used to be." We hold onto the dry sand dunes of our past because they are familiar, and when a massive change comes and sweeps those dunes away, it can feel incredibly sad and scary.
But this lake is a beautiful lesson. What felt like a loss 30 years ago actually brought a beautiful, life-giving oasis. The change brought clear water, gorgeous birds, and a thriving hub of joy for the community. My blessing for you today is this: If you are going through a scary, unwanted change in your life right now, try to trust the process. The "dunes" you are mourning might just be making way for a beautiful new reservoir of life, joy, and peace. Embrace the water when it comes!
360° VR & Interactive Maps
Grab your VR headset (or use your mouse) to glide across the turquoise water, paddle up to the island, and soak in the stunning red rock views!
Gorgeous Glides: Sand Hollow (VR 360)
Interactive Google Street Views
🗺️ Pro Tip for Homebound Explorers!
To get the ultimate interactive experience: Click "View on larger map" on the maps below. Then, grab the little yellow dude (Pegman) in the bottom right corner and drag him onto any of the blue dots or blue lines. This drops you right into the 360° view so you can look around freely!
The Northern Shoreline
Paddling the Coves
The View from the Island
✨ Ask the Desert Guide
Curious about Todd's padded motorized kayak, the secret island coves, or the 30-year ATV history of the dunes? Ask our AI Guide!
The Magic of the Oasis
Sand Hollow will always be a deeply special place for me. It’s a powerful testament to how places—and people—can evolve, trading one kind of beauty for another, and becoming something even more wonderful in the process. Whether you’re there to paddle the glass-smooth morning water, fish from a crazy motorized contraption, or just soak in the sun, I hope you find joy in this amazing Southern Utah playground!
🛶 Easter Egg Hunt: Did you spot the hidden Kayak emoji in today's story? Tell me where you found it in the comments!
Sending Love and Positive Vibes,
Shauna @ VRGetaway
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