Wednesday – March 18, 2015
Imperial Dunes Recreation Area
Imperial Valley, California
Following our visit to Los Algodones, Mexico earlier today, we visited the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Specifically, the Butternut Dunes area, west of Yuma, Arizona and south of Interstate 8. GPS Coordinates: 32° 58.30 N / 115° 10.36 W
The Imperial Sand Dunes are the largest sand dunes open to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use in the United States. The dunes begin 10 miles southeast of Niland, California and stretch all the way into Mexico, over 40 miles away.
The Dunes vary in width from about a quarter mile at the top end of the Mammoth Wash area, to about 5 miles in width below California Highway 78.
The Algodones Sand Dune System covers 1,000 square miles, making it one of the largest dune complexes in North America.
There is over 150,000 acres designated as open or having limited use and about 32,000 acres designated Wilderness (North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area) and closed to OHVs (mostly north of Highway 78).
Summer temperatures consistently exceed 100 degrees, sometimes exceeding 120 degrees. Winter Temperatures are typically in the 60 – 70 degree range.
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