Little Sahara State Park


Little Sahara State Park, also called Waynoka Dunes is a state park located in Woods County, Oklahoma, named for its resemblance to the Sahara Desert. The vast dunes have formed over time from terrace deposits, remnants of prehistoric times when the Cimarron River flowed over the entire area.

Park History

Little Sahara was founded in the early 1950s as a city park by Grace Ward Smith, head of Alva's Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, the dunes were primarily seen as a nuisance, encroaching on Highway 281, requiring the road to be re-routed. Smith named the park to lure visitors, hired locals to guide and act as outlaws, and in 1958 purchased a pair of camels. In September 1960, the state of Oklahoma purchased the 339 acre parcel for $12,500. Later that year, 4,000 visitors viewed a Christmas pageant starring the camels. By 1963, the park had expanded to 1,600 acres. That spring, a local auto dealer rode the dunes in a "makeshift steampunk vehicle with wide rims and balloon tires, topped by hay-rake wheels serving as roll bars." This activity quickly gained popularity and local businesses continue to offer rentals.

Park Description

The park is open year-round and no permits are required to enter.
Little Sahara State Park is located in northwest Oklahoma, south of Waynoka. The park offers over 1600 acres of rideable sand dunes ranging in height from to efn|The Rider Planet website showed the dune area as 1800 acres.