Dune formation requires a combination of geology, geography and prevailing winds.  In the case of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, a gap between the Moquith and Moccasin mountains to the south funnels winds blowing north from Arizona.  That gap is visible in this picture to the south.

In the area of the dunes, the geography opens up again, the wind speed decreases and sand is dropped into a natural depression formed here by the Sevier fault.  The coral color of the sand owes to its source rock, Navajo sandstone, the same sandstone that makes up some of the cliffs of Zion National Park to the northwest.

A grove of ponderosa pine grow at the southern end of the dune field.  Normally found at higher elevations, the ponderosa take advantage of the sand's ability to retain water after storms.