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    Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area

    4.8 (18 reviews)

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    Annie B.

    Arrived with high winds and warm/humid air. I recommend sandals and to go early around 5:30 AM :) We went to Gecko Campground, no one was there. Views are speechless! Will definitely visit here again! :)

    Ranger station front entrance.
    Skylar W.

    Having a blast out here in buttercup San dunes aka imperial sand dunes , birthday weekend spent right .! Blessing on blessing and more to come .

    Thug Genius. Out on all platforms.
    Heriberto V.

    I did my Album Cover shoot here. It really feels like we were in a real desert in another country. Went in mid November and weather was exceptional. Album is out on all platforms, Thug Genius.

    Early morning at the dunes' lookout point.
    Tigra C.

    I happened upon these dunes during a re-route into AZ (I-10 eb was closed at SR 86 S) from Cali. I saw the sign for the lookout point and decided to check it out. I had to drive up a fairly short, yet steep, road, which was partially covered in about a foot of sand. I'm assuming maybe it was just some random runaway sand, blown over the road because the rest of the road was clear. My manual shift did a little slipping and drifting on that sand, so be careful if you are not in a high profile, off-road, or ATV. Once I reached the top, there were parking spaces (I didn't count, but less than a dozen, maybe?), all of which had a 2 hour parking limit (signs were posted stating such). There were restrooms, and a couple of tables and benches as well. From this lookout, you can see miles and miles of dunes. If you go early enough in the morning, you can catch the sunrise over the dunes. It's a beautiful sight! I've never gone riding on the dunes, but it's definitely on my to-do list.

    My grandson w/ the Border Patrol
    Daniel B.

    Fire Ant collectors like me will truly find this a haven and goldmine for some humdinger finds. Bethel will be so jealous! But... What they don't tell you on antfarmfinders.com is how much SAND there is! So cool! The Border Patrol was also super friendly and gave me a ride to the border in their T-16 Land Speeder. They didn't give me a ride back to my car though which was a little rude, but it gave me more time to enjoy the sand. 5/5.

    Anthony R.

    Driving through the Sonoran Desert on our way to San Diego, we suddenly spotted some "mountains" off in the distance that appeared to have a strange yellow coloration. The closer we got, the stranger they looked. Eventually we realized they weren't mountains but rather huge sand dunes. Once we finally reached them, we felt like we were on an entirely different planet. The Imperial Sand Dunes are incredibly cool and certainly something that you have to experience to believe!

    Jason W.

    This place was impressive!....just made a quick pit stop on 9/2/17, sand was ridiculously hot and I could feel it even with sandals on. Nice for a few quick photo ops.

    This faces the north, non OHV side.
    Bella P.

    This area is a marvel - something you'd see in a movie. For the adventurous, it's an OHV playground - go to the dunes south of Highway 78. This is where the ranger station is and you can get a brochure. For those who just want to gawk and be able to walk around without getting run over by an OHV, then spend time on the north side, where those vehicles are prohibited. But be careful. Even the paved roads were covered in inches of sand in some areas. If you happen to be driving near this area, it's definitely worth a pit stop. If you can be there at sunrise or sunset, even better.

    Mike G.

    What a great place to make family memories. Camp In the sand no hook ups for your RV so come prepared. The vendors on gecko have lots of parts if you break but are pricey still better than driving to town. The BLM control these parts and can be a pain in the pocket book as they love to write tickets.

    Dunes
    Kas M.

    My friend invited me to come out to the Dunes on Halloween. I never knew this place existed. I took the 10 freeway to US 78 & CA111. It was about a 3 hour and 45 minute drive from Los Angeles. I left my house around 7am and got there around 11am. This place was packed with thousands of people. There were RVs everywhere, ATVs, 4 wheelers, monster trucks driving and speeding over the dunes. People were camped out, barbecuing, cooking, having an all out good time.

    Vendor Row at Gecko Rd entrance

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    8 years ago

    So cool I loved playing in the sand and watching it roll with the breeze. Will definitely be back

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    Review Highlights - Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area

    What you usually see are huge camps of hundreds and hundreds of RVs, trailers and trucks & trailers with dune buggies.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area - recreation - Updated May 2026

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