Last updated on October 14th, 2022 at 02:26 pm
As with any seasonal sport we get sad when the season passes. We know how it ends. We end up having to set the activity we love most aside. This happens with mountain biking, cross country skiing, and also with snowshoeing. However, the snowshoes you’ve hung up for the warm season are a bit more versatile than their name implies. In fact, if you can find enough sand, your snowshoes might just turn into your new favorite cross training for the summer.
In short, yes, snowshoes work great on sand. Using snowshoes in sand protects your feet and ankles from sharp gnashing granules of sand, and the broad frame of snowshoes work perfectly in keeping your feet from sinking.
The Benefits of Snowshoeing on Sand
If you are fortunate enough to find a stretch of accessible sand near you, we highly encourage you to get out there with a pair of snowshoes. Plus, if you are hitting the sand, there are too many benefits of wearing snowshoes to pass up. In fact, here are a few of the benefits that may encourage you to take snowshoes to a dune near you:
Snowshoes Protect Your Feet From Sand
Sand might look like it shares characteristics with snow from a distance, but not even close. Snow is a soft powdery substance that melts and compacts when you step in it. Sand is far from this.
RELATED: Best Snowshoes for Beginners
Instead, sand is comprised of billions of fine hard granules of glass and rock. Furthermore, these granules feel quite sharp when they make their way into hiking or running shoes. In fact, sand stuck between your foot and shoe lining can cause extreme blisters over large parts of your foot.
However, using snowshoes on the sand can protect your feet by preventing it from ever getting into your shoes at all.
Using Snowshoes on Sand Prevents You From Sinking and Allows You to Cover More Distance
Additionally, your feet, calves, and ankles will thank you for wearing snowshoes. Not only because they will be less likely to develop horrible blisters, but also because the snowshoes will literally prevent your feet from sinking in the sand.
As a result, your body will take longer to fatigue.
In fact, having snowshoes on during your sand hike or run will essentially prolong the duration of your excursion. And you will be able to cover more distance easier!
Increased Stability Reduces Likelihood of Injury
Furthermore, if you have ever fallen on a sandy run, or tripped hard on the beach, you likely noticed that the sand wasn’t the most comfortable way to break your fall.
Using snowshoes on sand is one way to prevent the likelihood of a crash on sand.
So, say goodbye to those raspberries (the rash caused by falling and scraping a portion of your skin)!
Best Places To Find Sand For Snowshoeing
Additionally, if you’re sad you don’t live near any sandy places you may just need to look a bit closer. For instance, many inland lakes have sections of sand that are easily accessibly for snowshoeing in the warmer months.
Check with your local park services to see if there are any sandy locations nearby.
RELATED: Best Snowshoes for Kids
With the above being said there are some really cool places to use your snowshoes if you find yourself near either coast, or the great lakes.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
For instance, the Sleeping Bear Dunes are not in the middle of a large hot desert. Instead, these dunes formed during the last ice age, and are located near Traverse City, Michigan.
In fact, these miles of sand dunes right off the coast of Lake Michigan are our favorite sandy spot to use snowshoes.
Hilly sandy trails take you all the way from the trailhead to Lake Michigan, and since most visitors aren’t using snowshoes you will likely find that many hikers at this National Park don’t make it all the way to the lake. However, with snowshoes in tow, you can easily get to the shore and back with much more ease.
Tybee Island, Georgia
Additionally, a short drive from Savannah, Georgia is a sandy paradise for snowshoes. Here, Tybee Island is a short stretch of sandy beach perfect for testing out your snowshoes on.
This island, and really, any sandy coastline in the south of the USA would be a great way for southern runners and hikers to use snowshoes for cross training.
Obviously, Tybee Island isn’t the only sandy coastline in the southern US; most any coastline would be a great candidate for using snowshoes on the sand.
White Bluffs, Washington State
Furthermore, the White Bluffs near the Columbia River in Washington State are a great place to break out your snowshoes to use in sand.
Hilly dunes and long stretches of sand make the White Bluffs a great location for a sandy snowshoe run or a family excursion.
If you want to make it more of a workout than a casual excursion the dunes of the White Bluffs provide the perfect hills to challenge yourself.
What Distances Are Best for Sandshoeing
There is no minimum distance that is ideal for using your snowshoes in sand. That said, if you are looking to traverse large distances in deep sand, then snowshoes are a must. Furthermore, the longer you hike or run in sand the more your body will fatigue; snowshoes slow that fatigue by keeping your feet from sinking in the sand.
RELATED: Calories Burnt Snowshoeing vs Cross Country Skiing
It is not uncommon for serious trail runners to cross train in snowshoes, both on snow and on sand. This means snowshoes can be used to cover some serious mileage on sand. As long as your trail has enough sand for your distance, your sand-shoeing excursion is only limited by your own endurance capabilities. Whether 400 meters or 14 miles your snowshoes can handle the sand.
Find Sand, Take Your Snowshoes, and Have Fun
The sandy spots in the US hold a lot of beauty. This beauty sometimes gets overlooked. With your snowshoes you can explore more of the sandy gems in this country while evading some of the negative affects sand might have on our feet and fatigue.
If you don’t own a pair of snowshoes there are really a ton of great options. As outlined in this post, it shouldn’t even matter if you live in a snowy area…just find some sand!
RELATED POSTS:
- 5 Best Snowshoes for Beginners
- Best Snowshoes for Kids
- Calories Burnt Snowshoeing vs Cross Country Skiing
- Best Snowshoeing Poles
- The Best Gloves for Snowshoeing
Image credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters (https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); file size reduced
Sleeping Bear Dunes image credit: dvs (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvs/) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); file size reduced
Tybee Island image credit: Melissa Johnson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ladytaz/) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); file size reduced
Image credit: Nicholas Blumhardt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/nblumhardt/)Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); file size reduced