When you are thinking about distance from the parks, bear in mind travelling time rather than miles. Travelling from Southern Dunes to the parks is an easy drive, dual carriageway all the way, with 3 lanes in each direction (the roads have recently been improved) and a 65 mph speed limit most of the way. To my mind, it's a lot nicer than battling with the traffic on the 192.

Obviously, travelling time from any community can vary according to the time of day. But I don't think distance from the parks should put you off Southern Dunes.