Sandboarding in the Lancelin Sand Dunes

The Lancelin Sand Dunes are the biggest sand dunes in Western Australia and some of them have a 45-degree angle. The white sand dunes are located 1.5 hours north of Western Australia’s capital, so it is a perfect day trip from Perth.

The dunes are a 2 km long sand dune system inland from Lancelin and have the really soft sand that is required for great sandboarding. It is a lot of fun to surf or slide down the steep dunes and a must-do activity if you are in the area.

Besides sandboarding, you can also explore the dunes with your 4WD, go dirt biking or go on a guided quad tour. In addition to that you have a great view from the top of the Lancelin sand dunes during sunrise and sunset, so be sure to add it to your itinerary.

Lancelin Sand Dunes Opening Hours & Costs

The Lancelin Sand Dunes are ‘open’ daily from 8 AM to 7 PM. However, it is recommended to go around mid-Morning if you want to go sandboarding as it is usually the least windy time of the day.

Thankfully, there is no entrance fee so you can come and go as you please.

Lancelin Sandboard Hire

If you want to, you can hire your sandboard in advance. There is a 45-minute long buffer zone around the rental time, so do not worry if you are a little bit too early or late when picking up your sandboard.

Renting a sandboard for 2.5 hours costs 12.50 AUD and a 3 hours rental costs 14.50 AUD. If you have reserved it in advance, you can pick up your rental board at ‘Have A Chat Guest Store’. The store is open every day of the week from 7 AM onwards.

You can rent two different kinds of boards depending on what you want. There are sit-down and stand-up boards. If you are only renting one board, I recommend renting a stand-up board as you can always sit on it as you slide down the sand dune.

We were a group of 10 and rented three stand-up boards and two sit-down boards and ended up mostly using the stand-up boards.

How to get to the Lancelin Sand Dunes

The sand dunes are located inland of Lancelin. Drive into the town after you leave state route 60. Then drive to the northernmost part of the city. You can access the public parts of the dunes by driving down the unsealed, somewhat sandy, road at the junction of Beacon Rd and Desert Rd.

Look up ‘Lancelin Sandboards Hire’ if you use Google Maps as a means of navigation.

Sandboarding Adventures in Lancelin

I did not think that I would like it but ended up loving sandboarding in the Lancelin Sand Dunes. Sandboarding was a lot easier than I assumed and it is just one of those great outdoor activities you can do in Western Australia.

Going down the sand dunes might seem daunting when you stand on top, but you will soon notice that it isn’t. It is actually easier to surf down the dune than to walk back up again and again. Many people spend a large part of their time in the dunes sitting at the top enjoying the view while catching their breath. I am horrible at snowboarding and skateboarding, but I figured out how to sandboard after a few runs. Therefore, there is a great chance that you will master sandboarding even faster.

If you fall – and it is quite likely that you will at one point – you will be covered in sand from head to toe. Be sure to pour out all the sand in your shoes. Thankfully the sand bath is usually the worst thing to happen. Even those of us that fell down a few times had no bruises. Do what you can to fall on your butt if you end up losing your balance. It’s what I did and it worked out perfectly fine.

If you have never gone sandboarding before, I recommend the following: Board down the dune once or twice while sitting down on the board. Doing so allows you to get a feeling for the movements of the board and makes the angle of the sand slopes seem a lot less daunting.

Try to find an unoccupied spot without footsteps and slide trails in the front area. I noticed that it was actually easier to sandboard down the steeper dunes, so I would recommend keeping that in mind when looking for your spot on the dunes.

Also, be sure to wax the board every few runs or it will get stuck in the sand. I forgot to do it in the beginning and the board ended up buried in the sand by the time I was down half the sand dune. Wear sunglasses or tinted goggles while sandboarding to keep the sand out of your eyes and to protect your eyes from the sunlight that is reflected by the white sand. It is a really bright environment and after a while, it hurts to look at the dunes.

Motorized vehicles are usually on the further away sand dunes, but it is best to keep your eyes open in case a vehicle is on the dunes closer to Lancelin. Also, keep in mind that there are no facilities at the location.

What to Wear to the Lancelin Sand Dunes?

You can wear whatever is suitable for the weather while sandboarding in the Lancelin Sand Dunes. I recommend light clothes that are loosely fitted. I wore hiking shorts and a tank top and it was perfectly fine when I fell down. If it has been super sunny I would have added a light sweater to protect my arms from the burning sun.

The one thing you should wear is closed shoes. The sand can get quite hot so you do not want it to touch your feet. Most people that wore sandals when they arrived ended up having to take them off at the bottom of the sand dunes. It is just not possible to stand on the board with loose shoes. On a sunny day walking up the dunes barefoot would have been close to unbearable.

It is best not to wear something without too many pockets as the pockets will only be sand catchers.

More Activities in the Sand Dunes

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Quad Bike Tours in the Lancelin Sand Dunes last 90 minutes and start at 10 AM and 1 PM. There is a maximum of 6 quads per tour, so book in advance if you are a bigger group and need several quads. All tours are guided, so they are suitable for everyone.

One quad for one person costs 129 AUD and 159 AUD for two people. A kid’s quad costs 119 AUD. Hereby the passenger minimum age is 6, while the minimum driver age for regular quads is 16 years. The price includes one hour of sandboarding before or after the tour.

Other Things to Do in Lancelin

There are many other great things to do in Lancelin, that range from dolphin spotting to activities like kite-surfing, windsurfing, stand-up paddle-boarding, and surfing.

You can rent a SUP or surfboard on the official website of Lancelin. If you want to rent a surfboard prices range from 25 AUD for 2 hours to 40 AUD for an entire day. A stand-up paddle-board rental costs 30 AUD for 1 hour, 50 AUD for 2 hours, and 70 AUD for an entire day.

Another great thing to do is to watch the sunset at Nilgen Lookout in Nilgen Nature Reserve. It is an incredibly beautiful place full of different native plants and bushes and it is amazing to see the colors of the fading sun color them in many different hues.

If you do not mind driving, you should also visit the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park which is 75 km away.

Where to stay close to the Lancelin Sand Dunes

Lancelin Lodge YHA – This lodge has both dorm rooms and private rooms. A night in a dorm room costs 33 AUD per night and the prices for private rooms start at 90 AUD for 2 adults.

Lancelin Holiday Park – This caravan park has both powered sites for caravan and tents, and unpowered sites. Private cabins are under construction. The holiday park is pet-friendly and has hot showers, a laundry room, a camper kitchen, a playground, and an indoor pool. It is located close to Lancelin”s Back Beach. Usually powered sites cost 45 AUD for two adults and unpowered sites cost 40 AUD. Additional adults staying on the site have to pay an additional 15 AUD per person and 8 AUD for children. No fee has to be paid for infants that are up to 2 years old.

Free Camping – There is a great free camping spot off the 60 (Indian Ocean Drive) to the north of Lancelin and just before the Nilgen Lookout. There are no amenities as it is a mere gravel clearing. There are some kangaroos that frequent the area. We saw two kangaroo moms with young ones when we camped here. Look up ‘Gravel Storage Yard Camping’ in WikiCamps.

Private Holiday Homes – There are a few private holiday homes in Lancelin.

Will you go sandboarding in the Lancelin Sand Dunes?

I obviously loved the sand dunes and plan to go sandboarding again. It was a blast and I could not recommend it more. The Lancelin sand dunes are incredibly beautiful by themselves and the fact that there are so many great things to do there only makes them better. Be sure to visit the dunes if you are in the area!