Dumont Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area encompasses 7,620 acres of public land. This Special Recreation Management Area provides for a remote motorized recreation experience amidst an iconic dune system reaching over 400 feet above the surrounding desert landscape.
Although sand is a favorite amongst off-road enthusiasts for its soft surface and ever-changing landscape, riders should take extra precautions when riding.
Experienced duners read the dunes to anticipate hazards, but an unsuspecting motorist may find themselves suddenly wedged into a small depression (witch’s eye), flying over a steep slope (slipface), or high-sided on a narrow ridge (razorback).
Challenging conditions can occur in early afternoon, when the flat light from the overhead sun visually erases all shadows, and the tell-tale signs of danger.
Location
Dumont Dunes is located in the Mojave Desert in California, about 31 miles north of Baker on California State Route 127.
The Open Area is located south of the Amargosa River and east of Highway 127, about 31 miles north of Baker, California. There are two ways of getting to the dunes. The Little Dunes staging and camping area is directly off Highway 127, conveniently located for immediate staging. One mile north of here, just off Highway 127, is Dumont Road, a dirt road which follows and crosses the river, leading to the main field of large dunes.
GPS Coordinates: 35.69138056, -116.2389028
The main access road to Dumont Dunes crosses the Amargosa River which can be impassable during high rain events.
Recreation
Visitors to Dumont Dunes enjoy excellent recreation opportunities including open desert riding on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, dune buggies, sand rails, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), as well as camping. This area also offers a scenic tour, along a non-wilderness corridor, through the Kingston Range Wilderness.
Dumont Dunes Has two separate main dune complexes.
Camping
Camping is permitted anywhere within the open area of Dumont, but is limited to a maximum of 14 consecutive days. It is illegal to possess and/or discharge fireworks. Firewood containing nails, screws, and other metal hardware is prohibited. Keep pets on a leash and your campsite free of trash and litter during your stay – pack out what you bring in and secure it in your vehicle. Campfire permits are required for the use of a campfire, propane stove, lantern, barbecue, or any open flame, and may be restricted in the fire season (typically May-October). Fire danger is extreme during most of the year. Campfire permits can be obtained online at www.preventwildfireca.org.
Rules and Regulations
General Rules
- Pack it in, pack it out – no trash collection provided
- Drainage of sewage tanks is prohibited
- Glass containers, fireworks, and firewood containing nails and screws are ALL prohibited
- Wilderness areas are closed to all motorized vehicles
- Shooting is not permitted within the Dumont Dunes OHV Recreation Area
- Parking, staging, or camping is prohibited within 500 feet on either side of the Dumont Dunes access road
Off-Highway Vehicle Rules & Regulations
- Passengers are not allowed on ATVs except as designed by the manufacturer
- ATV operators must wear an approved safety helmet
- Operators and passengers of UTVs less than 1000cc must wear an approved safety helmet
- Maximum speed for OHVs is 15 MPH within 50 feet of a campsite, animal, or pedestrian
- It is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
- Children under 14 must be under the direct supervision of an adult while riding an ATV
- OHV use is restricted to signed designated routes outside of the
OHV Equipment Requirements
- California Nonresident OHV Use Permits are required for non-California residents operating an OHV that is not registered in their home state.
- OHVs must be equipped with an approved muffler and spark arrester
- All OHVs must have a mast and a red or orange flag 6 feet off the ground for visibility in the dunes
- Vehicles operating at night must use both headlights and taillights
If you are a resident of another state and your OHV has valid registration from that state, you do not need a Green or Red Sticker or a California Nonresident OHV Use Permit (unless your state of residence requires California visitors with properly registered OHVs to purchase a non-resident permit in your home state). If your OHV does not have valid registration or the equivalent from your home state, you will need to get a California Nonresident OHV Use Permit. A title is not registration. For states bordering California, the Oregon OHV Permit and the Nevada OHV Registration Decal meet the requirement for OHV registration by residents of those states.
A non-resident need not purchase California’s permit as long as they can provide valid proof that they have a current registration or their home state’s equivalent for their OHV (unless your state of residence requires California visitors with properly registered OHVs to purchase a non-resident permit in your home state). If a nonresident cannot provide valid proof of possessing such a document, they must purchase the California Nonresident OHV Use Permit.
Holiday Weekends include Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Weekend and President’s Weekend.
Fees
Dumont Dunes is an expanded amenity recreation fee site. Online passes for Dumont Dunes are available on Recreation.gov or you can get passes onsite with a credit card.
SEASON PASSES (Oct. 1-Sept. 30)
- $90 without holidays
- $120 with holidays
WEEKLY PASSES
- $30 without holidays
- $40 with holidays
Dunes in Motion
The desert has been, and continues to be, a dynamic setting where humans, plants, animals, weather, and landforms are in constant motion. The Dumont Dunes were created approximately 18,000 years ago when Lake Manly in Death Valley and Lake Dumont in Silurian Valley began to dry up. The shape of the lake basins funneled winds that picked up the sand from the beaches around these ancient lakes and deposited it at one end.
For a relatively small area, the Dumont Dune System is a complex one, containing traverse, barchan, longitudinal and star sand dune formations. This dynamic landscape changes with each passing windstorm, forming terrain that challenges multiple skill levels.
Destinations at Dumont Dunes
North Pole at Dumont Dunes
North Pole GPS Coordinates: 35.68664, -116.17676
Swing set at Dumont Dunes
Swing set is also known at Veteran’s Hill
Swing Set GPS Coordinates: 35.69190, -116.21707
Sunset Hill is a favorite spot to watch the sunset
Sunset Hill GPS Coordinates: 35.68778, -116.22310
South Pole at Dumont Dunes
South Pole GPS Coordinates: 35.66397, -116.23187
Competition Hill at Dumont Dunes
Sperry Wash OHV route
The Sperry Wash OHV route (AR0412) is a unique corridor through the Kingston Range Wilderness and follows the life-giving waters of the Amargosa River. Sperry Wash Route traverses the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River north from Dumont Dunes along the path of the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. As you journey through the wash, take time to enjoy its scenery, its history, and its solitude.
As you pass through Amargosa Canyon, look for remains of the old Tonopah & Tidewater Railroadthat was built in 1905. It continued up Amargosa Canyon and serviced many important mining operations in Death Valley. The town of Sperry serviced the railroad during that time.
Sperry Wash is not part of the Dumont Dunes OHV Area and while you are free to travel anywhere on foot or with stock, vehicle travel is restricted to the designated route only.
