Dunes · California

Imperial Sand Dunes (Glamis)

California’s vast Saharan dune sea

TypeDunes
StateCalifornia
Best seasonLate fall–early spring (summer is lethally hot)
How to visitFree BLM (OHV permit for vehicles); wilderness areas are foot-only

The largest dune system in California — 40 miles of golden Saharan sand along the Mexican border, where Return of the Jedi filmed the Sarlacc pit and dune-buggies roar on winter weekends. Pick a quiet wilderness corner for the silence and the ripples.

The shot

Wind-rippled dune crests at low sun.

Nearby & worth pairing

  • Algodones Dunes
  • Salton Sea
  • Anza-Borrego
  • Yuma, AZ

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