Visiting the Imperial Sand Dunes in California

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The Imperial Sand Dunes, or the Algodones Dunes, in Southern California is the biggest area of sand dunes in California. THEN WHY THE FRENCH TOAST HAD I NEVER HEARD OF IT?!? I mean, sure, I was a literal hermit the first seventeen years of my life before university, but how did I never know there was this VAST DESERT right in my backyard? Well. Maybe because I just assumed all of it was  desert. Nevertheless, on my first trip to Coachella, I took a day trip down to the Imperial Sand Dunes.

It’s not a good way to escape the heat.

From Palm Springs, it takes 2ish hours to get to the Imperial Sand Dunes. From Los Angeles, the Imperial Sand Dunes are about 3.h hours away. And only 2.5 hours from San Diego. It’s a good day trip (yanno, if you find shade for the rest of the day).

In the summer, temperatures can easily rise above 110 degrees. April…wasn’t much better. But I’ve heard winter is a very comfortable time to go! In fact, the first time I heard about the dunes was from one of my friends posting a picture riding her ATV in a Santa hat out there. So, the optimal season : winter. I looked long and hard to find the history of these sand dunes, but I didn’t find much. I’m sure you’re happy to hear that, since you don’t have to sit through 18 paragraphs on the backstory of a desert.

Once you turn into the park, there’s literally just one road through the dunes. The further you drive on the road, the bigger the sand dunes are. Sand can partially cover the roads at points, but it isn’t inaccessible at all. My lil rental car made it just fine but uhh…yanno, try to avoid driving through deep sand. I almost got stuck. Towards the edge of the picture, you can see an RV (I felt creepy taking a picture directly at it). There are little turnouts and those are the “campgrounds”! So yeah, I kinda parked on someone’s campground. #rude . Not much privacy, but the campgrounds are pretty far away from each other (you can see two other RVs at the next campground).

But! I did find that geologists think these dunes were created from the sands of an ancient lake. Lake Cahuilla was the name, which is the same name as the Native people (Cahuilla) now located in the Coachella Valley. Lake Cahuilla dried up WAYYY back in 1700s, but it’s professionally guestimated that the sandy beach shore from that lake blew over to create the massive sand dune. Yanno, centuries ago. So it’s been here a while.

During the winter, permits are required from October 1 through April 15 each year. Permits are $35 per week in advance and $50 per week if purchased onsite. Season permits are $150. I’m pretty sure I went during that time….but I didn’t see anyone collecting money so…*emoji shrug*. However, I visited when there was less than a week left in the season, so that could’ve been why. Or more likely, you only need permits if you want to use a OHV vehicle or camp. The world will never know. (or just check the website)

There was no one out riding when I went. Partially because it was a random Tuesday. ALSO PARTIALLY BECAUSE I WENT AT NOON DURING THE HOTTEST TIME OF THE DAY. I would strongly advise against visiting between 12pm-3pm. It was brutal. If you do decide to ride, remember to always use safety flags on all OHV in the sand dunes. You WANT to be seen out in those dunes, trust me. On the same note, keep an eye on ALL PETS AND CHILDREN. And yourself. OHVs are fast!

The Imperial Sand Dunes have even been featured in a few movies! My favorite of the bunch is Resident Evil : Extinction, but it was also in Return of the Jedi, Flight of the Phoenix, and a few others. TBH tho, I have only seen Resident Evil : Extinction. So, I’m biased.

I didn’t spend too much time at the dunes, mostly because I was melting my face off. I just wanted a quick peek – and I’m glad I went! It was my first time actually visiting a sand dune up close, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Here are my top pieces of advice for a successful visit (that don’t involve OHV dune bashing) :

1. Avoid going at peak sun times. It is very un-enjoyable. It will make everything you do, including breathing, 100x harder. Even if you just want to take pictures, the sun can cast a lot of shadows around noon (look at me, talking like I know photography or something). Aim for the early mornings when the air will be more cool, or sunset for stunning colors in the sky. However, I’ve heard that it gets very busy at sunset.
2. Bring sunscreen. No matter what time of the day you go, you’re going to need it. YES – BROWN PEOPLE NEED SUNSCREEN TOO, I see y’all tryin to skip this one.
3. Bring water. To make this point short and sweet, I DID NOT and I wanted to die. So don’t be like me. Stay hydrated and healthy my friends!
4. While you’re at it, bring snacks too. BUT DO NOT BRING CHOCOLATE BARS THAT WILL MELT ON THE DASHBOARD OF YOUR RENTAL CAR. Just sayin’
5. Scope out the dune you want to hike BEFORE you get out the car. Preferably, pick a dune that is very close to the street. Whatever you do, do not randomly park, walk out into the middle of the sand, and head towards a dune that *looks* close. First of all, IT’S NOT CLOSE. Second, it’s so much more work than necessary. I had to learn that the -very- hard way.
6. Don’t wear boots. They’re will get filled with sand. In fact, any shoe you wear will probably get filled with sand. Take some sandals. If you want a specific shoe for a picture, save yourself the agony and carry them to change into once you reach your spot.
7. DO NOT WEAR A GIANT REFLECTIVE SILVER CAPE. You will literally bake like a potato. TRUST ME ON THAT.

 

And last but not least – have fun! It’s a pretty cool place, even if you don’t get out of the car and just view from the safety of your AC. In the area, there is also the “Old Plank Road monument”….but I didn’t do any planning before hand so I didn’t know about it. If you can find it, lemme know how it is! Plus, while you’re in the desert, you should check out Salvation Mountain, just a town away. In case you are wondering, no, there isn’t any shade there either. But Salvation Mountain is worth it!

So there ya have it! Have I convinced you to take a drive out to the Imperial Sand Dunes? Are you now craving a baked potato?? Then my job here is done. Thanks for reading!

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