Winterhaven, California: Imperial Valley Sand Dunes
Drive a road that dead-ends at sand dunes. Big desert sand dunes. A place for those who like heat and feeling like they're on an alien planet
Royal Dunes Park
- Address:
- 6808 Grays Wells Rd, Winterhaven, CA
- Directions:
- Royal Dunes Park. I-8 exit 156. Bear right onto Grays Wells Rd, then quickly turn left at the ranger station. The road dead-ends at the dunes.
- Phone:
- 760-337-4400
- Admission:
- Free to visit. Fees for camping or off-road vehicles.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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Maintained and operated by the Bureau of Land Management and located at the Grays Wells Rd exit off Interstate 8, this unique attraction has a lot going for it. You can take your off-road vehicle, camp here, and explore the dunes in all their glory (Just make sure you pay the fees required to stay overnight or use ORVs).
I stopped here on 7/5/2020 after seeing all the surrounding sand dunes. Coming from a place that has no sand dunes, it is breathtaking. If you time your visit right (like I did) you'll have the place to yourself and truly feel like you're on another planet. It was 108 degrees when I was there, so definitely bring an umbrella for shade and water to drink.
[Jason Linemann, 07/16/2020]Nearby Offbeat Places
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