Sand Mountain is a Singing sand

Singing sand

Singing sand, whistling sand or barking sand is sand that produces sound. The sound emission may be caused by wind passing over dunes or by walking on the sand.Certain conditions have to come together to create singing sand:...

 dune 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Fallon, Nevada

Fallon, Nevada

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...

 along U.S. Route 50

U.S. Route 50

U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...

. The dune is two miles long and 600 foot high.
It lies on the edge of the ancient Lake Lahontan

Lake Lahontan

Lake Lahontan was a large endorheic Pleistocene lake of modern northwestern Nevada that extended into northeastern California and southern Oregon...

, that for the most part dried up 9,000 years ago. Sand Mountain Recreation Area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management

The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...

 and is open to off-highway vehicle use. The area is also the only home of the Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly

Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly

The Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly is a butterfly of the gossamer winged variety that is only found around the Sand Mountain Recreation Area near Fallon, Nevada...

.
Off highway vehicle rules:

• Camp only in designated areas.
• 8 ft. whip flags are required on all vehicles riding in the dunes.
• Do not burn wood containing nails, screws or other metal hardware.
• Burning tires is prohibited.
• Speed limit is 15 miles per hour (6.7 m/s) in camping areas.
• Possession or use any glass cup or bottle is not allowed.
• Users must pay an area fee of $90 per year or $40 per week collected by the Bureau of Land Management
  Bureau of Land Management
  The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
  
  .
• Avoid riding in areas closed to motor vehicles.