Kelso Dunes
Mojave National Preserve · near Baker / Kelso · California Desert
Hiking
At a glance
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Distance
- 3 miles
- Elevation gain
- 600 ft
- Time needed
- day
- Best season
- October–April (dangerous heat in summer)
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or fee. One of the tallest dune fields in the country, and one of the few that 'sing' — the sand booms underfoot on the descent.
- How hard the permit is to get
- 1 of 5
What is here
- Features
- 'Singing' booming sand · 650-foot dune summit · Sweeping Mojave views · Wildflowers after wet winters
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- No
Hiking detail
- Intl tip
- To hear the sand 'sing,' climb to the highest ridge and then slide or run down the steepest, driest face — it works best in dry conditions, not right after rain. Go early morning or late afternoon for the best light and cooler temperatures; midday in the open dunes is brutal. This is remote country in Mojave National Preserve — carry plenty of water and fuel up beforehand.
The guide
The Kelso Dunes rise nearly 650 feet from the floor of the Mojave National Preserve, forming one of the tallest dune fields in …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Kelso Dunes — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.895, -115.708