North America
Sun-soaked coastlines, toThe Imperial Sand Dunes, also known as the Algodones Dunes, are the largest sand dune system in the United States, stretching 45 miles along California's eastern edge near the Arizona border. It's a landscape that feels completely out of place in America: massive, shifting dunes rising up to 300 feet, with a raw desert silence that's hard to find anywhere else in the country. Half the dunes are open to off-road vehicles; the other half is wilderness.
Things to Do
The recreation areas (particularly Gecko and Roadrunner) are the hub for OHV activity, ATV and dune buggy rentals are available nearby and the riding terrain is some of the best in the Southwest. For those who prefer wilderness, the protected section of the dunes to the north offers hiking and sandboarding in near-total solitude. Watching the sunrise or sunset from a high dune crest is the single best experience the area offers, the light on the sand at golden hour is extraordinary and the temperature is manageable. The nearby Salton Sea is worth a detour, eerie, post-apocalyptic, and unlike anywhere else in California.
Best Time to Visit
October through April is the only reasonable window, summer temperatures in the Imperial Valley regularly exceed 45°C (115°F), making outdoor activity dangerous. The peak season is November through February, when the dunes draw large crowds of OHV enthusiasts on weekends and holidays. For solitude, visit on a weekday in October, March, or April. Thanksgiving week and Presidents' Day weekend are the busiest periods of the year.
Where to Stay
Most visitors camp directly in the dunes, the BLM campgrounds at Gecko and Roadrunner are first-come, first-served and fill quickly on winter weekends. El Centro, about 20 miles west, is the nearest town with hotels and services. Yuma, Arizona, just across the state line, is a larger option with more accommodation choices and easy morning access to the dunes.
Budget: Motel 6 El Centro, basic, reliable, and the closest budget option to the Imperial Sand Dunes about 25 miles east.
Mid-range: Hampton Inn & Suites El Centro, comfortable chain hotel with breakfast and a pool, a practical base after a day in the dunes.
Luxury: Hilton Garden Inn Yuma Pivot Point, across the state line in Arizona, the nicest hotel within easy reach; genuine luxury does not exist near Glamis.
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Hidden Gems
The wilderness section of the dunes, accessed from the northern trailhead near Grays Well, sees almost none of the crowds that pack the recreation areas on weekends. Walking deep into the wilderness dunes in the early morning, when the OHV noise hasn't started yet, is a completely different experience from the recreation side. The dunes also contain exposed Pleistocene-era fossilized oyster beds in certain areas, evidence that this desert was once an ancient seabed, worth looking for on longer hikes.
