The sand dunes in Glamis, California are the perfect spot for a family weekend adventure, full of fast-action and moto-excitement, thrills and spills! The amazing Sarah Robinson (an Arizona photographer and mom of 2) is here today giving us the complete lowdown on how to do the dunes right. She’s been adventuring in the Glamis sand dunes for years and has insider tips and advice on where to go, what to do, what to bring and where to camp. Get ready for some “duning” fun, this adventure is going to blow your mind!
The ultimate guide to Glamis sand dunes with kids
Being an Arizona native and growing up in the desert, the Sand Dunes have always been a part of my life. As a child, my family went to the sand dunes in our motorhome and my brothers and I rode around on little Honda 50’s, 80’s, 125’s. My older brother had a three-wheeler, too. As we got older and busier with life and growing up my family just kind of stopped going to the dunes.
However, when I met my husband in the late 90’s, we realized we both had a childhood at the Sand Dunes in common. He and his family were still die hard “duners.” Now, I am able to get back to this happy place of my childhood with him and introduce our little family to the sand dunes. Today, I get to tell you all about how, where and what to do while “duning” with kids in Glamis, CA.
About the Glamis sand dunes
The Glamis sand dunes are located off of Hwy 78 between and Blythe, CA and Brawley, CA. This is about a 3- 4 hour drive from our home in Mesa, AZ. The town of Glamis, CA has virtually no permanent structures, aside from a small store and trading post. These offer limited supplies for the hundreds of thousands of recreational visitors each year who pass through the Algodones Dunes and the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area(collectively called the “Glamis Sand Dunes”), located in the southern portion of the dune system. Dune season begins in October and goes until April, usually depending on the heat.
Dunes Wilderness
The largest section of the dunes (located north of State Route 78) are off-limits to vehicular traffic due to designation as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness. The federal government protected these 25,818 acres in the early 1980s and closed them to vehicles as part of the California Desert Protection Act. However, much of the area south of this road remains open for off-highway vehicle use. It is the largest sand dune area open to off-highway vehicle use in the United States. The sand dunes are an awesome terrain for many off-road vehicles: motorcycles, sandrails, ATVs, and 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
In addition to the Glamis Sand Dune Recreation area, there are other dune areas that are a little easier to find. They are right off Hwy 8 and have much of the same things to do such as large hills to ride to and sand drags of their own. These areas are called Buttercup, Gordon’s Well and Grey’s Well.
Dunes wildness
In the late 90’s and early 2000’s the sand dunes were a wild and dangerous place. The crowds were a bit out of control due to insufficient ranger and law enforcement presence, specifically, Glamis and Competition Hill. As a young adult, this was great time, but it certainly was not family-friendly. However, over the last few years, ranger law enforcement presence was significantly increased and law enforcement is now in full force in Glamis. Competition Hill was eventually shut down due to winds washing it away from existence. The Glamis dunes are a much safer, regulated, family-friendly adventure land for everyone to enjoy.
Riding the dunes
Glamis Sand Dunes is sometimes called the “Sand Toy Capital of the World,” and it truly is! Trucks, dirt bikes, quads, rzrs, and sand buggies galore! And with the recent popularity of the new 4-seater Polaris RZR’s and Can Am’s, it is so easy to now take your whole family on a fun adventure through the sand dunes.
The best sand dune buggies for kids
Before these Polaris 4-seaters were around, kids weren’t able to really go “duning” unless your family had a Sand Rail or Buggy. These were mostly all custom built and pretty pricey, making it very restrictive for families to dune together. Kids were confined to riding their quads (4-wheelers) around camp until they were old enough to operate something that could make it through the sand dunes.
Now, with these awesome machines, you can buckle them up and take them along! These overgrown quads are the perfect family fun mobile in the Sand Dunes. We call them the wagons… ha ha! My kids are 5 and 8 now and have been duning since they were babies.
How to ride the dunes
There is a “rhythm” to riding the dunes. If you are new to driving in the dunes, the best thing is to follow a leader that knows what they are doing. Never go up and straight over a hill because you don’t know what is on the other side. The way to drive the dunes is to get to the top and then turn and drive along the ridge until you can see what is in front of you, then go down. A good rule of thumb is that if it is round on one side, it will be steep on the other. But that is not always the case.
There are dangerous swirls or bowls that the wind make called witches eyes and you don’t want hit one of those going fast. Razorbacks can be tricky too. That’s where the dune is steep on the both sides. If you drive the dunes right, it can be like the smoothest roller coaster ride ever. The enormous “bowls” are exhilarating to drive around in. The G-forces push you into your seat and you can almost lose your sense of up and down while running the bowls. It’s sooooo much fun!!
Camping in Glamis
It is open camping, meaning you show up and find a spot. You do need a Camping permit as well as registration for your OHV (off highway vehicles). Here is a guide to permits. Make sure you get all your ducks in a row, they check and ticket. Remember that ranger presence I mentioned was in full force earlier? Yeah, get the permit.
There are 4 main camping areas: (1) the Washes; (2) the Flats; (3) Gecko Road; and (4) the Canal. Each of these areas has it’s own unique personalities and features. Depending on what you’re looking for in a campsite, you’ll find one that suits your needs.
The campsites
The Washes camp area runs along the rail road track. These campsites are numbered by the wash that runs under the track are a popular place for the big rigs. The sand is a little more hard-packed and gravel so getting stuck isn’t so much of an issue. While this is a very popular spot, I’m not a fan. Most of the time, the wind blows in the direction towards the Washes so all the dust kicked up gets blown right your way… which sucks, in my opinion. Also, it gets pretty packed in there and you’re basically camping on top of each other. Finding a campsite can be a challenging on a busy weekend. It used to be that you’d have to go to the railroad track, find your wash, and then go from there to find your camp. However, GPS has made this less of an issue than it used to be. Now, you can just ping your camp and go right to it.
The Flats area is located right off Hwy 78 next to the Glamis Store. The Flats area is super easy to find and is right in the middle of the action. This is where all the vendors are located. At “vendor row” you can get food, ice, firewood, t-shirts, souvenirs. You can rent ATV’s and OHV’s here. They also carry all the supplies you’d need to fix any vehicles that break down. I’d say you could rebuild almost anything right there just utilizing the vendors! If you aren’t camped at the Flats, it’s a fun ride to head down there, cruise the vendors and get a hot meal.
Gecko Road is another popular camping area. This area is a long road that turns off of Hwy 78 and goes right passed the ranger station. This road goes for miles and miles. There are camping spots off of the side of the road, as well as paved spaces down towards the end. The camping flats have names and also have restrooms. The nice part about these spots is that you are super close to the actual dunes. However, be advised that these spots fill up quickly on a busy weekend.
The Canal is another campsite for large gear. Right on the other side of the Gecko Road is additional paved camping flats for the Big Rigs. We call it the “Canal” because it’s right next to the canal. These areas are recommended if you have big fancy motor homes and are pulling some big trailers. It’s paved, so you don’t bury your $100k rig!
If you are like us, we can pretty much camp wherever we want. We have conservative camping gear that is more off-road friendly, so getting stuck isn’t a big deal. Our gear consists of trucks with box trailers, smaller toy haulers, tents and vans. This means we can pick a spot away from the crowd and not have to worry about lots of traffic or being stuck next to neighboring campers. In my humble opinion, this is the way to go when camping with kids. A little spot is all by itself means that the kids can ride around camp all day and the only people they are bothering when they fire up their 80’s at sunrise is us!
What to bring
When camping in the Sand Dunes with kids, there are essentials that you need besides the obvious food and drinks. First of all: safety gear. Wearing helmets is the law of course, so each kid needs a good helmet that fits, as well as goggles. Moto helmets can be confining and heavy for little riders; especially if they aren’t used to wearing one. We use skate or snowboard helmets. These don’t have face protection like a moto helmet, but they are light weight and don’t feel claustrophobic. Goggles are very important. Getting sand in your eyeballs isn’t fun for anybody, especially little ones.
When riding in the RZRs, kids don’t quite fit into the seats, so we use Graco car seats. They are buckled into the car seat harness and the car seat is buckled into the RZR seat. This also boosts them higher, for better viewing when riding.
Safety first
Bright colored clothing is always a good idea. I try to always dress the kids in bright colors like neons, bright reds and greens. These colors stand out against the beige background of the sand. Anything that might make the kids easier to be seen by other duners is a good idea. We’ve even made matching shirts for all the kids in camp so they are easy to spot and easy to keep track of. It was actually super helpful.
There are no trails or traffic laws out in the dunes. You make your own trail and go where you please, so anywhere you stop in the middle of the dunes can be the middle of the road for the riders the next dune over. All OHVs are required to have flags so that you can see and know where your fellow duners are when they are not visible behind the height of the dune.
When going on a ride, you should always be prepared for a breakdown or some situation where you can’t get back to camp immediately. Have repair tools, a first aid kit, a blanket, and warm clothes in case you are out past dark. As well as snacks and drinks in your cooler.
Bring the fun
Some other fun things to bring for the kiddos are glow sticks, S’mores fixings, fireworks, sparklers, wish lanterns, sand/beach toys (shovels, buckets, etc.), toy trucks and quads. The kids can play for hours duning their toy monster trucks in the sand. They also love their own camping chairs and picnic tables. Sunscreen is also a must. The desert sun is pretty powerful and if it’s a cold day you can’t even tell you’re getting burned. I just slather it on first thing in the morning and apply a second coat after lunchtime. If you have really little ones, a pack and play and a baby carrier are a must to bring. And of course, don’t forget your camera!
Where to go and what to do
For the most part, when we’re at the sand dunes, we stick to the same tentative schedule. First, the kids wake up at the crack of dawn and ride their bikes around camp waking everyone up! We either get up and go on a breakfast ride to the vendors at the Flats (where they have the best waffles and breakfast burritos you could ever ask for) or make breakfast at camp.
Next, to keep them entertained, we find or make tracks for the kids to ride on. There is a great track about a ½ mile from our camp that the kids love to ride around and around on. These are great because they stay confined to the track and they usually don’t run into each other since everyone is all going the same direction. These tracks are the stuff of childhood memories learning how to ride your quad and pushing yourself to go a little faster each time.
Explore the swingset
After breakfast, we all head out for a “ride.” We pack everything up and plan on being gone all day. From our camp we ride to the “Swingset.” The swingset is exactly what it sounds like, a giant swingset in the middle of nowhere! This is a relatively new family-friendly destination, built as a Memorial. It is out in the middle of Dunes, so you have to know how to get there and have something to ride/drive that will make it across the sand. The dunes swingset is a perfect destination to take the kids. They get to get out, run around, and of course…swing! The adults get a refreshment break while we hang out and watch the kids have fun for a bit.
Oldsmobile Hill
When the swing set gets old, we load up and head to Oldsmobile Hill. There are a few stops or destinations you can hit along the way to Oldsmobile Hill, if you want to lengthen the trip. There is a memorial flag pole in the middle of nowhere, a slide, and a few smaller hills that people like to race up and down (China Wall and Brawley Slide).
“Oldsmobile Hill” is kind of the epicenter of Glamis. It is a huge hill where everyone goes to hang out and watch the show. The show being everyone racing up and down the hill and cruising the rows. People park in rows down at the bottom and hangout, have lunch, and be social. Usually some of the trucks from our camp will meet us there by taking Sand Highway, which is just what it sounds like… a sand road. Almost any 4 wheel drive can make it to the hill by taking sand highway.
Sand Drags
After the midday Hill session, we either ride back to camp to regroup or ride straight to the Sand Drags. The “Sand Drags” is an area similar to the Hill except, there is no actually hill. It’s a flat drag strip that runs parallel to Gecko Road where people race. There are no set lights or flags to tell you when to go. The races start going about 3 or 4 pm and go until sunset.
We park along either side of the drag to watch and participate in the races. We usually prefer to go back to camp to get the trucks so we can put the kids up high in the back where they can see the show and are a little safer in case anything loses control and comes flying into the crowd. I know, it sounds crazy, but it occasionally does happen! The Sand Drags go until sundown, then it’s back to camp to make dinner.
Dinnertime
Around dusk is dinner time. There are a couple of restaurants to ride to like Boardermanville and Duners Café. But honestly the kids have a ton of fun just playing at camp, so there’s no need to leave. They make ant farms, dig in the sand, roast s’mores, ride around and around and just play and get dirty. We usually do a big camp potluck meal. And let me not forget to mention how epic Glamis sunsets can be by the way. Carne Asada and Pollo Asada burritos are the most popular with our group.
We eat dinner, make s’mores around the camp fire, play with glow in the dark Frisbees, have glowstick dance parties, burn some sparklers, let off a few fireworks, then clean the kids up and put them to bed. They are usually so tired that they literally sleep through everything. The adults can have adult time by the campfire and do adult stuff (or in my case I usually pass out right with the kids)! And then we wake up and do it all over again!
Insider tips
The biggest tip I can give to highway vehicles going off-road in the sand dunes is to let a little air out. Actually, not just a little air…a LOT of air. You want a PSI of no more than 20. Trust me, this is the ticket to getting through the soft sand without getting stuck. The trucks can bring chairs and easy ups for shade and anything else we might need (firewood, coolers, etc.). We usually hang out at Oldsmobile Hill for a couple hours. The kids can race up and down the Hill, have lunch, and even take a nap on a blanket or in the RZRs if they need to.
Breaking down in the middle of the dunes happens, but it isn’t necessarily a terrible thing. It can actually be a great time! RZRs are notorious for burning belts, but if you have a spare and your tools… no problem! We usually have a lot of unexpected fun when this happens (or at least the kids have a blast). The sand is so soft and clean out in the middle. They can climb to the highest peak and look out and see the entire sand dune area. It is a beautiful intriguing wondrous site. It makes you wonder how all this sand got to the middle of a rocky mountain landscape.
Ice cream truck, for the win!
Oh and I almost forgot to mention…the ICE CREAM TRUCK!! How many of you remember the sweet sound of the ice cream music coming down your street when you were a child? We don’t hear that anymore. However…the ice cream truck is alive and well in Glamis! There are actually multiple ice cream trucks that cruise around. This is a highlight for all children in the sand dunes.
Some people actually complain about the trucks’ music being too loud (particularly those people in their $100k rigs who have freezers full of ice and bring their own ice cream). They just don’t fully appreciate the excitement of the ice cream truck. We have broken down on the side of Gecko Road before and the sweet sound of the ice cream man coming down the road is music to our ears. We get bags of ice for our coolers and the kids get their favorite ice cream treat, literally in the middle of nowhere. It’s such a luxury… ha ha!
Kid-friendly Glamis
The Glamis Sand Dunes are such a fun adventurous thing to do with kids. If you are smart, have the right gear, and always pay attention to your children, it can be the absolute best time! Like most outdoor adventures, there are accidents and owwies and things out of your control. The only thing you can do is pay attention, be aware of your surroundings, buckle them up and make sure they have everything they need to have a great time. Before hitting the dunes, I always have the talk with my kids to remind them that there are a lot of stupid people out there that aren’t looking for little kids (I probably should come up with a better word, but it’s true) and that they have to look out for everyone. Prepping them ahead of time has made a big difference.
Plan your trip
I hope this gives you some insight about how to do the Glamis Sand Dunes with children. If you are hesitant to take them for whatever reason, I encourage you to give it a chance. It opens up a whole new world of trucks, dirt bikes, quads, rzrs, sand buggies. Kids LOVE that stuff! And letting them learn the lessons on how to ride and drive these machines, be brave and careful, will be lifelong skills and amazing memories that they will have forever. And as I always say, “falling or crashing in the sand isn’t bad at all. It’s a nice soft cushion to fall down on.”
Sarah Robinson is mom of two awesome kids, photographer, blogger, model and outdoor adventurist in Arizona. You can find her at any of the following locations:
Sunshyne Life Blog
@Sunshyne.Diaries on Instagram
@SunshynePix on Instagram