What to See and Do
Hiking and Biking
Salton Sea Rock Hill Trail
Located near Niland, CA on the edge of the Salton Sea, 18 miles north of Brawley, the Salton Sea Rock Hill Trail runs alongside the inland sea to the summit of Rock Hill. The views are stunning, and the trail is accessible year-round, but since summers are very hot, you might prefer to hike during another season.
Length: 2.0 miles
Intensity: Easy
Pilot Knob Mesa Trail
Located near Winterhaven, CA with a trailhead off BLM Road EC-744, this trail is a short but steep climb to the summit of Pilot Knob. The path is strewn with rock and loose gravel. Hikers enjoy an incredible view of the far-reaching desert in every direction from the summit.
Length: 1.4 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Fishing and Boating
Natural areas to fish or boat do not exist anywhere near the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. However, the Sonny Bono Salton Sea, a lake created by a disastrous attempt to divert the Colorado River in 1905, offers a human-created desert opportunity for anglers and boaters. Mozambique tilapia, the only game fish remaining in the Salton Sea, can only be fished from boats.
Climbing
Though the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area has few rocks within its boundaries, there are several bouldering, vertical cliff, and rocky hill grounds for climbers to explore within 200 miles. Bouldering is by far the favorite type of rock climbing enjoyed in the area, with structures like those found in Joshua Tree National Park providing over 2,000 challenge courses for rock climbers.
Wildlife Viewing
There is abundant wildlife in the ISDRA. The dry environment encourages such species as the desert tortoise, flat-tailed horned lizard, and Colorado fringe-toed lizard to thrive. Snakes like the famous diamondback rattler venture into the region but often find it too dry for their taste. Along the Sonny Bono Salton Sea, birds compete for tidbits washed onto the shore but will not fish in the highly saline water.
Picnicking
The BLM provides multiple picnic areas operated out of the Cahuilla Ranger Station. These areas include picnic tables, metal fire pits, and trash bins. Most trailheads have picnic areas, but no amenities exist deeper into the desert.
Stargazing
Though the night sky is obscured in summer by heat shimmering off the desert, the winter views are glorious. With no sizable urban area in the region, light pollution is minimal.