Roadrunner Picnic Area

Overview

Roadrunner is the park’s go-to place to post up for a meal and jump straight onto the dunes. It sits along Dunes Drive (about six to seven miles from the fee station), sharing the pullout with Primrose. From your car, you’ve got steep white gypsum hills rising right there—ideal for sledding and photo ops.

Facilities

Expect lots of shaded picnic tables, each with a metal topper and an elevated grill, plus two small first-come pavilions that suit groups up to around 20. Vault toilets serve the area (no running water). You’ll find dumpsters and trash/litter cans, with recycling near one of the restroom buildings. Parking handles cars, RVs, and buses.

Sledding Highlights & Safety

This is one of the park’s most popular sledding spots, with dunes roughly 40 feet high right off the lot. Bring a plastic saucer or pick one up at the park’s gift shop; waxing the bottom helps. Choose gentle slopes with a flat run‑out, avoid vegetation and hard clumps, and always go feet‑first. Never sled toward roads or parking, and skip any restricted areas.

Picnic Smarts

Colored plates and napkins are your friend—white stuff disappears in the sand. Bag your trash so the wind doesn’t carry it into the dunes; if small cans are full, use the big dumpsters. Using a park grill? Douse charcoal with water and leave it in the grill. Bringing your own grill? Pack out your charcoal.

Pets

Dogs are welcome throughout the dunes and picnic areas; keep them leashed and bring extra water. Hot sand and sun can sneak up fast on pups and people alike.

What Makes It Stand Out

Roadrunner bundles everything you need—shade, grills, restrooms, ample parking—with instant dune access. It’s the easiest place to mix a relaxed picnic with sledding laps and those sweeping mountain‑rimmed views of endless white.

Best Time to Visit

Aim for mornings and late afternoons when temps are friendlier and the light turns the dunes sculptural. Spring and fall are most comfortable; summer heat and afternoon storms are common. Weekends and holidays see the most competition for shaded tables and pavilions, so arrive early.