Shifting Sands
A black volcanic ash dune on the grassland north of Olduvai Gorge. It moves west by more than ten meters each year with the wind, and it is sacred to the Maasai.
Shifting Sands is a crescent-shaped dune of black volcanic ash deposited by eruptions of Ol Doinyo Lengai. It is about 9 m high and 100 m long, and the east wind pushes it about 10 to 20 m west each year. The conservation area has set up marker posts recording its position over the years for comparison. The volcanic ash contains iron, and it is said to be magnetic, so sand tossed into the air gathers and falls back. The Maasai regard it as sacred, so please do not climb on or trample it. It is about 30 to 40 minutes' drive from the Olduvai Gorge Museum over rough roads. It is usually visited on the way to the Serengeti, together with Olduvai Gorge.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Olduvai Gorge
- Maasai Cultural Boma (Ngorongoro)
- Laetoli Footprints
- Olmoti Crater
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Karatu Coffee Farms (Gibb's Farm)
- Empakaai Crater
- Lake Eyasi & Hadzabe