Last updated: April 5, 2024
Place
Kelso Dunes
A Gilliland
Quick Facts
Location:
Mojave National Preserve
Designation:
Wilderness
Amenities
8 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Toilet - Vault/Composting, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles
The Kelso Dunes, at over 600 feet tall, are a vast playground of sand. For thousands of years, wind picked up sand from the nearby Mojave River sink and carried it until it came upon the moutains. Once the wind hit the Providence and Granite Mountain ranges, it released the sand, forming the beautiful slopes you see now. It is unlikely that any new accumulation is occurring today.
If you're feeling energetic, take the three-mile roundtrip hike to the top of the dunes. Or explore the many varied windswept shapes along the way. If you're lucky, you might hear the dunes singing: listen (and feel) for a low-pitched booming sound.
The Kelso Dunes are also home to a unique, fragile ecosystem. There are multiple rare species of plants here, as well as endemic insect species that don't live anywhere else in the world. Sidewinder snakes and Mojave fringe-toed lizards are among some of the animal inhabitants. Look for tracks in the sand. Who else has been there?
If you're feeling energetic, take the three-mile roundtrip hike to the top of the dunes. Or explore the many varied windswept shapes along the way. If you're lucky, you might hear the dunes singing: listen (and feel) for a low-pitched booming sound.
The Kelso Dunes are also home to a unique, fragile ecosystem. There are multiple rare species of plants here, as well as endemic insect species that don't live anywhere else in the world. Sidewinder snakes and Mojave fringe-toed lizards are among some of the animal inhabitants. Look for tracks in the sand. Who else has been there?