WSU students trying to make it to Illia Dunes on Saturday were met with a long line of cars at Lower Granite Dam, leaving some students waiting for more than an hour before turning around.
An unorganized student ‘Dunes Day’ was advertised on social media, the post drew thousands of likes and attention across campus.
Daniel Millican, a WSU civil engineering major, said he heard about Dunes Day through the Barstool Wazzu Instagram account. He had heard of the event before, but did not expect the drive to become the hardest part of the day.
“I saw it on Barstool Wazzu’s Instagram, I’ve heard of it before,” Millican said. “I did expect it to go a little smoother, I didn’t expect the dam to be such an issue.”
Illia Dunes is located on Lake Bryan, about three miles west of Lower Granite Dam. The recreation area is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a popular warm-weather spot for WSU students.
Millican said when he arrived at the dam, there were about 30 cars in front of him. At first, he thought the line would move quickly.
“I showed up and there were like 30 cars in front of us and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, should get across no problem,’” Millican said. “An hour later we barely even moved.”
Lower Granite Dam crossings are limited to certain hours. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, crossing hours are daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except for federal holidays unless otherwise announced. Southbound crossings occur on the hour and northbound crossings occur on the half-hour.
Millican said he did not see any warning about the dam causing a delay before making the drive.
“We had zero warning about the dam,” Millican said.
After waiting in line, Millican said his group decided to turn around and head up the river instead.
“We ended up turning around and heading to Boyer Park where the parking lot was closed, and had to park on the side of the road,” Millican said.
By the time his group turned around, Millican said the line had grown far beyond what he expected.
“When we turned around there were 20 cars in front of us and behind us I’d say there were like 300 cars,” Millican said. “The line was a good mile long.”
Large crowds at Illia Dunes have caused issues in the past. In 2014, the Corps closed Illia Dunes after heavy visitation led to trash accumulation, environmental damage and public health and safety concerns.
Illia Dunes was also closed in 2012 after more than 3,000 visitors went to the area during one weekend, according to the Corps. The closure was caused by health and safety concerns related to trash left behind by visitors. The Corps also announced in March that alcohol is banned at Illia Dunes because of alcohol-related safety hazards.
Even though Millican did not make it to the dunes, he said the day was still worth it.
“I still had a great day,” Millican said. “It would’ve been cool to make it to the actual dunes but I think we still had our fun.”
