Access: The riding area is south of the Amargosa River and east of
State 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.
Activities: Most visitors ride motorcycles or ATVs, sand rails, or tour
the area in vehicles with four-wheel-drive. The area off Dumont Road is used
extensively for OHV and sand rail staging and play. There are many opportunities
for hiking, rock scrambling, rockhounding, and bird-, and wildlife-watching in
the hills away from the dunes.
The Kingston Range Wilderness borders the riding area to
the north. This area is CLOSED to motor vehicles. Travel outside the riding area to the south
and east is permitted only on designated routes and only with street-legal
vehicles. Extremes of heat and cold are common to this area! Emergency help is
not immediate.
Rules and Regulations: All vehicles must have a muffler or spark arrester and have
either a street-legal license or be registered as an off-highway
vehicle. All OHVs must have a mast and red or orange flag for visibility in the dunes.
Vehicles operated at night must use both headlights and taillights.
Helmets are required to be worn by all riders of ATVs.
Only one person at a time is allowed on an ATV.
Possession or use of any glass container, empty or not, used for carrying any liquid
for drinking purposes is prohibited (43 CFR 8361.1-6).
Camping is allowed anywhere within the riding area as long as it does not block travel
on a road, and is limited to a 14-day stay.
SHOOTING IS NOT PERMITTED within this area.
Draining of sewage tanks, littering, or dumping of trash is prohibited
Fees: Annual Permits ($60) are available:
1. by phone from Western Maintenance Co. - call (760) 726-6055.
2. on site from vendor on duty.
3. in person at the Barstow Field Office - 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, Calif.
7-Day Permits ($20) are available on site only from vendor on duty.
All fees collected are used to support activities and projects at Dumont Dunes.
Comments: The Dumont Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Area, also referred to
as an Open Area, is an exciting and remote area for off-highway vehicle
recreation. Bordered by steep volcanic hills and the slow running Amargosa
River, the region is easily recognized from a distance by its distinctive sand
dunes. The elevation here varies from 700 feet, at the river, to 1200 feet at
the top of Competition Hill, the tallest of the dunes.
