Hi,

I'm new to this sport, and live in Los Angeles... I was hoping somebody could fill in some information here, for those of us brand new to Glamis!

Tips on the best places to ride, how to get to the good spots, where to park, etc, etc... would be awesome help!

-Matt

Wow, that's a big question, but will give my (very biased) opinions.

Glamis is basically a long, north-south(ish) rectangle. The majority of the camping spots are at the four corners, NW (Gecko Rd), NE (Glamis/Wash Road), SE (Ogilby/Buttercup), and SW (Gordon's Well). Each of these places also goes by other names such as Roadrunner (campground at southern end of Gecko Rd), and Dune Buggy Flats (Gordon's), etc. However, I think the ones I noted are the most common. Short descriptions of each area below.

Glamis Beach Store/Wash Road - the Mecca of duning. Extensive vendor area, that starts fairly thin, peaks at Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years, then thins out in late Feb/early March. The camping areas around the store are more crowded and rowdy. If you go south from the store along wash road, the further away from the store you get, the less crowded the camping becomes, less noise, etc. You can camp along wash road for a loooong way, all the way down to about wash 40 or so. As long as you stay within sight of the road/railroad tracks, you should be able to get in and out with little chance of getting stuck or having issues. If you camp in this area, you can cross under the RR tracks at Wash 10 and go east to Boardmanville for a beer and some food or catch a game on TV.

Ogilby - This is the SE area, north of I-8, west of Ogilby Rd which runs N/S. Campground is about 3 miles from Ogilby Rd. There's a microwave tower that is the main landmark here. Generally spacious camping, more family-oriented. Go pretty much north from the tower for the main spots. Ogilby is the Sun City of the dunes, as they say. The riding here is bounded by a large closed area north of this area, so all riding is pretty much to the west. For experienced riders, the only large hill is Patton Hill which is about 3 miles west. Some larger dunes north and south of Patton, but nothing like the large areas up north.

Gordon's well - SW area. Large Cali crowd, with a vendor area maybe 1/2 that of Glamis itself. A Sheriff's trailer is here where you can get a pass. In general, a rowdier crowd than Ogilby. Big attraction here is the sand drags at about 4:00pm on Fri and Sat night in the area just east of Gordon's. Fun to watch. I'd stay near the start, as the chance of getting hit at the drags is greater near the end, it seems. Riding here is somewhat limited, as it is at Ogilby, due to the proximity to the large southern closed area.

Gecko Rd. - The NW area is a long asphalt road running mostly north south, about 3 miles long. Camping here is pretty tight generally, as the sand is really soft if you get too far from the road. Seems to me like a little older crowd, due to the high concentration of motor homes. The large class A RVs like Gecko due to the paved road. Riding is good here (same as Glamis) as you have access to the large open riding area in the north.

That's about it. Nothing I've said should be taken as applying all the time. You'll find great people and a very small percentage of idiots wherever you go. There are other places such as along the canal north of Gecko. Our favorite weekends are the family/kid ones, like MLK day, President's day, etc. Maybe in another message someone can describe the various hills. Have fun!

Rzrnaz, well done! I personally go to Glamis/Gecko which is the closest to LA. The only thing I would add to that is Olds & Buttercup.

Oldsmobile Hill is at Glamis and is the hot spot for all the dunes. It has the most people and the wildest stuff running the hill, day or night. You can get there by driving southwest from the flats/vendor row/glamis beach store. Just follow everyone else.

Buttercup is on the south side of I-8 just west of Ogilby Rd. That wouldn't be bad for someone new to the dunes because the dunes are much smaller and closer to camp. The comp hill is also close to camp and can be fun at times, day or night. It also has a small vendor row there to purchase t-shirts, parts, and a burger or breakfast burrito.

Where ever you go, respect other duners and keep speed down around camps. Google search Glamis rules and know them before going and you'll save yourself alot of headache and fines.

I would say that the washes are a safe bet for a riders first time. The washes go from 1 - ?? and start right behind the Glamis store. The wash road runs in a straight line north west and south east and is parallel with the railroad track all camping areas are to the west. They are also numbered which comes in handy for letting people know where you will be. Here are a few maps of the joint.

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