Abstract Quantifying aeolian processes is important to decision‐making in river management and for optimizing strategies for ecosystem conservation, natural resource management, and recreation. We applied the AeoLiS aeolian transport model, originally developed for coastal environments, to a dryland river corridor to evaluate its ability to simulate sediment dynamics in a fluvial‐aeolian system. The model reproduced spatial and temporal patterns of geomorphic change at a Grand Canyon sandbar, including aeolian dune formation, observed in field data. The model effectively captured trends in observed sediment movement in the spring and summer months. Thus, despite assuming a single grain‐size, static vegetation, and not directly accounting for variable sediment supply from fluvial sources, the model performs well at capturing aeolian processes in a complex fluvial‐aeolian system. AeoLiS demonstrates strong potential for dryland river applications and management, due to its flexibility and compatibility with coupled modeling frameworks.