Driving on sand requires skill. If you get it wrong, you could roll sideways on a dune, get stuck or irreparably damage your vehicle.
So why do we do it? Because it’s a whole lot of fun and with all the amazing trail rides this side of Southern Utah, it’d be a shame not to take advantage of them. Sand Hollow State Park alone has more than 15,000 acres of perfectly sculpted sand dunes and obstacles, enough to keep any outdoor enthusiasts happy.
To tackle the sandy terrain, you’ll need a set of sand-capable off-road tires. There are many options on the market ranging from dedicated sand tires to all-terrain tires that can work well on most surfaces.
Here are our top 5 picks:
-
Mickey Thompson Baja Claw
This is one of the toughest and most-popular off-road tires available. These tires handle extreme off-road conditions like mud, gravel, sand or dirt with ease thanks to their unique design. They feature cut-resistant sidewalls for durability, built-in side biters for extra traction and are tall for crucial ground clearance.
-
BF Goodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM2
These tires have received plenty of glowing reviews. They not only look great on most rigs but are also easy to balance, have reinforced sidewalls to help resist wear and tear and are surprisingly quiet on pavement. Additionally, they feature special built-in flex zones to provide better traction during aired-down driving, making it easier to “float” on the sand.
-
Nitto Dune Grappler
With 3-ply polyester sidewall lugs, specially designed tread blocks with 3D grooving and lowered siping these tires are engineered for both on-road comfort and top off-road performance. If you’re looking for tires that’ll give you extra grip and traction so you can execute all kinds of maneuvers on sand, these will work great.
-
Toyo Open Country R/T
Although these aren’t sand-specific tires, they get the job done. They have long tread life, excellent traction in mud or sand and deliver solid performance. What we like most of all are the large tread lugs which provide extra surface area for floating on sand without compromising performance.
-
Dick Cepek Fun Country
If you’re looking for great appearance, value and performance, these won’t disappoint. With handy features such as interlocking tread lugs and reinforced, staggered side biters these tires are designed to give you that extra grip you need to stay on top of sand and are durable enough to give you years of service.
At Dixie 4 Wheel Drive, we encourage avid off-roaders to build their expertise and confidence in the outdoors. Sign up for one of our off-roading education and trail riding events and get to learn while interacting with a group of other passionate off-roaders.
