As most of you know...I do 99% of my off-road driving in the sand dunes. I was born and raised literally walking distance from sand dunes. I have tried all the rest and have come to realize that duning is just "my thing". Some of my favorite spots around where I live are....
Sand lake Oregon....Just a few miles outside Tillamook Oregon. Sand lake is a great place to test out a car or for beginners to get used to the dunes. The camping area is pretty good sized and heavily treed. There are a few small hills, most of which can be climbed in your average 4X4. It's fun and plenty of roley poley dunes to bumble over. You can go pretty much anywhere at sand lake, even if you have a beginner style rail or buggy..fun for all.
Spinreel/ Horsefall recreation area....These are both a little bit North of Coos bay Oregon. Spinreel is a few mile North of Horsefall. Both have good places to camp, you can go right from the camp ground to the dunes. The dunes at Horsefall and spin reel are large and many of them will require paddle tires and horsepower...BUT...there are miles and miles of smooth sand and beautiful views to explore. You do not have to go up anything big if you just want to have a nice trip around the dunes. A Baja bug will be limited if you do not have tires made for the sand. During the summer, the sand get plenty soft...an aired down all terrain will keep the bug moving...just be careful where you stop, because you might not get moving again without some help. Even with limiting where you go...there are still miles to explore.
South jetty, Florence Oregon... Florence Oregon has some great sand dunes. Many of which would be too much for a low horsepower/heavy buggy. Again though...you can put around with a very mild off-road buggy, you are not forced to climb the big stuff. The south jetty recreation area turn off is about one mile south of the town of Florence. The camping is alright and this should be a place you visit if you are into duning.
Winchester bay (AKA windy bay)....Windy bay is three miles south of Reedsport Oregon and about 25 miles North of Coos bay. Windy bay is my personal favorite. Most of the camping is away from the dunes (1/2 a mile or so) they ARE building a new campground right next to the dunes, so that solves that problem. Windy bay is pretty...and has some great views...but for a mild rig...Baja bug, stockish 4X4, low hp buggy. You may not find it as fun as some of the others. You can drive a lot at Windy bay...with mild rigs, but you will feel limited and you should not wander off the common paths too much. You WILL get stuck or get yourself trapped in an area that you just cannot get out of. I like windy bay for it's dunes. Some of them are so steep that you cannot even approach them head on, you have to hit them diagonal, otherwise it would just be like hitting a wall. If you have a really hot buggy (or light) you can wheelie into the hill and then gas it once the front tires touch. Some of it is steep enough to make a long four seat rail go completely over backwards (take my word for that one). Windy bay is a blast for the experienced off-roader and is okay for beginners, but it demands your respect and attention. Many of beginner and veteran have been surprised by a 30 foot drop off that was not there the last time the visited. Unfortunately, Windy bay claims quite a number of lives each year. Most of it is do to riding or driving beyond your means. Dune fest is held annually and people come from all over the country. If you are a people watcher, this is great, if you want to enjoy the dunes and the scenery...it sucks. The place literally looks like a busy ant hill during the week of dune fest. It's a good party, but if it's your first time to windy bay...I would suggest you plan around it.
Here is a picture or two...I will add a few more later I am planning a trip there weekend after next.
