Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is huge, encompassing 40 miles by five miles of the Algodones Dunes area in Southeastern California. If you see a movie star or two don’t be surprised, it’s been a popular Hollywood filming location since 1913. Recent films include: Spaceballs (1987), The Scorpion King (2002), and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). Video
I was heading east on I-8 on my way to Big Bend National Park and stopped off 20 miles from Yuma when I saw all the dune buggies and dirt bikes scaling crosscross along the massive heaps of sand—looked like heaps of fun! What also caught my eye was all the trailers parked in various spots next to the dunes with a pit toilet located here and there.
Camping isn’t completely free but pretty cheap at $35 a week
I’m guessing if you are an off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiast who wants to spend a few days, week, or more with your toys in a sand dune wonderland that paying a small fee isn’t much of a big deal.
The season runs from October 1st to April 15th and you can purchase a weekly or season pass online at: Imperial Sand Dunes or an authorized retail location: Find a vendor.
That timeframe makes a lot of sense when you realize that by the month of May daily temperatures in this area of the Colorado Desert can reach upwards of 101 degrees. That heat is not just hot, it’s potentially deadly and not a great time to be sweating it up outside.
There are 20 campgrounds in Imperial Dunes Recreation Area
That’s a ton of places to choose from, and again speaks to the massive 26,000 acres Imperial Dunes—also called Glamis Dunes—encompass. There are only two entrances, one is near Yuma off of I-8 that I drove through in the video below, and the other is off of Highway 78 near Brawley, CA.
This is BLM land, with a maximum stay of 14 days in any of the camping areas. You can purchase a season pass and stay the entire time from October to April but must move to a new camping location every 14 days.
Map of Imperial Sand Dunes camping areas
Here is the online map of all locations, amenities, etc. in the dunes: Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
Video of Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area
This is just a short vid of what the area is like at the South Entrance off of I-8. If you haven’t seen or been to this area, I think you’ll agree with me that it looks like a ton of fun. 🙂
I say “Free RV Camping” in the video as I knew I was entering a BLM area but hadn’t researched the specifics online beforehand. I know some folks don’t like to pay any fee so may disagree with that distinction, but at $35 a week it’s basically free in my book.
There’s excellent cell coverage
In this area there was strong cell coverage. I could work online, upload videos, watch a movie, make phone calls, etc. with my 5G iPhone and Verizon service.