Glamis / Imperial Sand Dunes
Glamis / Brawley (near the Arizona border) · near Brawley / Glamis · California Desert
Off-Road
At a glance
- Skill level
- beginner
- Size
- 40 miles long, averaging 5 miles wide · Algodones Dune complex
- Best season
- October–April · Summer temperatures exceed 115°F and are genuinely dangerous
Permits and booking
- Permit
- BLM manages the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. California OHV registration (Green Sticker) or out-of-state equivalent required for all non-street-legal vehicles. Whip flag must be mounted at all times. Helmets required by BLM rule. Day use and camping fees apply during peak season (Oct–Apr). America the Beautiful Pass not accepted — BLM specific fee structure.
What is here
- Terrain
- sand-dunes
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Off-Road detail
- Nickname
- Largest OHV Sand Dune Area in the United States
- Vehicles
- atv-utv · dirt-bike · any-ohv
- Signature routes
- Oldsmobile Hill · Gecko Road · North Algodones
- Intl tip
- Glamis is 3 hours east of San Diego and 2.5 hours from Phoenix, AZ. The nearest town with gas and groceries is Brawley. Stock up before arriving — there are no services on the dunes. The peak Thanksgiving weekend and New Year's celebrations draw the largest crowds; visit mid-week in November or January for a more manageable experience.
The guide
There is no off-road experience in California that scales like Glamis. The Imperial Sand Dunes stretch 40 miles in a band avera…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Glamis / Imperial Sand Dunes — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.0317, -114.9847