The sand dunes at Moses Lake may not be the most glamorous place to ride in the Pacific Northwest, but they do have their advantages. The first time I rode here was in the late 80’s. I was in town with a business associate, and he had brought his motorcycles, a large bore Husky and his street legal Honda 175. Guess which machine I was privileged to ride? Well, I survived and about 10 years later when my children were old enough to ride and were on spring break with nothing planned, the Moses Lake Dunes came to mind. We borrowed some ATVs from some friends, took an RV, and camped right on the sand. Everyone had a good time, and we have been going back a couple times a year ever since. Now, what the Moses Lake Sand Dunes lack in glamour they make up for in comfort and convenience.

Close: They are 180 freeway miles from downtown Seattle, Washington. Other than the first 15 miles or so, the speed limit is 70 mph. Once you exit the freeway in Moses Lake and take your free right turn from exit 179, you are just minutes from the dunes. We can typically leave our house in the Seattle area with travel trailer in tow and be in dunes in about 2 hours 45 minutes.

Sunny & Dry: With over 300 days of sunshine a year, the Moses Lake Dunes are likely to be sunny. However, when riding areas on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, it possibly would be cloudy. Annual rainfall is about 8 inches in Moses Lake compared to more than 60 inches on the Oregon Coast which is the next closest place to ride on decent sand dunes. We traditionally take a sunset riding and watching the sun set over the Cascade Mountains from one of the higher dunes.

Services: The City of Moses Lake is 10 minutes away with ATV dealers, gas stations,

restaurants, groceries, and yes, a hospital, with a first-rate trauma staff waiting to serve you. I speak from experience concerning the hospital, but that’s another story. So if you break your ATV, yourself, or you just need a break, full services are nearby.

No pre-planning needed: There are endless free places to camp in the sand dunes without bothersome reservations like some other riding areas. There is also no limit to the number of users, so there is never a closure due to a rider limit. The area is open 24/7 365 days a year. You can ride your quad at 2 a.m. in the morning on New Year’s Eve if you want, as long as you have an operating headlight and are sober.

Swimming & Fishing: How many riding areas do you know that offer a fresh water sandy swimming beach where you can legally ride your quad? Well, the northwest corner of the riding area borders the south end of Moses Lake. The beach, of course, is sandy and with Moses Lake being a very shallow lake, the water warms early in the season for swimming. The Bluegill are always hungry, so when you tire of riding, strap your pole onto your ATV and try your luck with the fish. Also, between July 1and October 1 an additional area along the west side of the dunes opens for motorized recreation. This area borders on the Potholes Reservoir and the outlet stream from Moses Lake adding many more opportunities for water fun.

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