State Parks and National Parks

The Juniper Dunes Wilderness, located in Franklin County 15 miles northeast of Pasco, covers about 7,140 acres.

Established in July 1984, this wilderness contains some of the largest sand dunes in Washington, ranging from 200 to 1,200 feet wide and up to 130 feet

high.

The sandy, warm dunes environment, which reaches as high as 100 degrees F in summer, supports grasses, shrubs, and western juniper groves.

This unique habitat is home to a variety of mammals, reptiles and birds and is valuable habitat for birds-of-prey.

Juniper Forest is the multiple use area immediately outside the wilderness boundary. Facilities are limited, there are informational signs, a visitor registration box and a primitive trail system. All-terrain vehicles, motorcycle and four-wheel-drive vehicles use the trail, as do hikers and horseback riders.

Most of the wilderness has limited public access. Recent improvements include fences to designate wilderness boundaries and control livestock, wildlife watering cisterns and visitor registration boxes.

It is important to come equipped with plenty of drinking water.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management. Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management.