HURRICANE – The Desert Roads and Trails Society will be hosting its 4th annual Sand Mountain cleanup run on Sept. 30 in honor of National Public Lands Day. Anyone with a four-wheel drive vehicle is invited to attend.
“We do it to help keep our public lands clean, the ones we use for our off-roading fun,” Desert Roads and Trails Society President Jeff Bieber said. “And it makes it more enjoyable for people who come here to visit, when they’re not looking at a bunch of garbage.”
Every year, the group finds less and less garbage on the trails at Sand Mountain. Several years ago, volunteers filled a 30-yard dumpster with garbage gathered in the Washington Dam Road staging area alone; since then, there has been less trash every year.
The Desert RATS is a local, family-friendly 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting responsible use of public lands in Southern Utah; the group sponsors the Winter 4×4 Jamboree as a fundraiser each January.
The group holds frequent cleanup events; National Public Lands Day events were held in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In addition, the group holds other cleanup projects throughout the year in Washington County.
Event details
- What: Cleanup in Sand Mountain OHV Area.
- When: Saturday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. until approximately 4:30 p.m.
- Where: Sand Mountain OHV Area. Meet at the water tanks near Sand Hollow State Park.
- Directions: Take the Southern Parkway east to the intersection with Sand Hollow Road. Turn left onto a dirt road and proceed up the hill to the water tanks. See map.
- Who: Anyone with a four-wheel drive vehicle is invited to help. Stock vehicles are suitable for some cleanup and sign placement; trail runs vary in difficulty.