Hiking The Kelso Dunes Trail (Mojave National Preserve, California)

For more information on the Mojave National Preserve, click here. 

The Mojave National Preserve is filled with some great hiking trails like the Teutonia Peak Trail and the Barber Peak Loop Trail, but perhaps none are as unique as the Kelso Dunes Trail.

Hiking The Kelso Dunes Trail (Mojave National Preserve, California)

The Kelso Dunes are located within the Mojave National Preserve, near the interesting ghost town (and former train depot) of Kelso, California.

Stretching for 45 square miles, The Kelso Dunes are the largest wind-formed sand dunes in the Mojave Desert.

The Park’s entrance sign

The Town of Kelso: Gateway To Kelso Dunes

The ghost town of Kelso is the gateway to the dunes (and very much worth a quick stop over).

The Kelso Depot Visitor Center

The old Kelso post office (across the street)

The Southern Pacific Railroad still runs through Kelso

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Joshua Trees dominate this landscape

About The Kelso Dunes Trail

(The official NPS trail description)

The Kelso Dunes Trail is a 2.7 mile [roundtrip] out-and-back trail. It is completely exposed and is best hiked during the early morning or non-summer months. AllTrails.com lists this trail’s difficulty as “moderate”.

I think I would list it as “strenuous” due the difficulty of walking on the steep, shifting and sinking sand (especially in the blazing Mojave Desert sun).

The trail is somewhat well marked, but at some point you’ll likely find yourself simply following footprints in the sand.

Image courtesy of wikipedia.com

Getting There And Parking

The Kelso Dunes Trailhead is located about 3 hours from Los Angeles, and about 2 hours from Los Vegas.

There is plenty of parking at the trailhead, which is located down a well-marked dirt road off Kelbaker Road, just south of the town of Kelso.

The trailhead and parking lot

Hiking The Kelso Dunes Trail

From the parking lot trailhead sign, you simply head straight out onto the sand dune and follow the trail markers and footprints.

As this is an out-and-back trail, remember to time yourself, it will take you exactly as long to hike out as it did to hike in. Oh, and yes, side-winder rattlesnakes (although rare) do call these dunes home.

The dry vegetation may make walking barefoot a little uncomfortable

View of the mountains and varied vegetation from the sand dune

Eventually, the vegetation will become more scarce until it almost disappears entirely

Final Thoughts: Hiking The Kelso Dunes Trail (Mojave National Preserve, California)

The Kelso Dunes Trail is a great hike on one of the largest and most impressive sand dunes in California.

As it lies between Los Angeles and Las Vegas (it’s visible from Interstate 10 freeway near Baker, CA), it’s also easily one of the most accessible sand dunes (no high-clearance 4X4’s required).

Because of this, its a great stop-over for both families and hardcore hikers alike. You can choose to do the entire trail (which I found quite difficult) or just step foot onto the dune and hike for as long (or as short) as you want.

While you are there, you might as well check out some other sites in great Mojave Reserve National Preserve as well.

Cheers!

A shot of the Kelso Dunes (with a fancy filter)