New campfire rules in place at sand dunes
Holiday visitors should take note
If you’re heading to the Imperial Sand Dunes and you haven’t been there in a while, you’re going to need a permit for any campfire, barbecue or gas stove.
That’s because of fire restrictions put in place by the Bureau of Land Management back in October. Currently, the ISDRA is in “Stage 1” restrictions, the BLM El Centro Field Office said.
Fire permits are free, and are available at any local BLM field office. They may also be found online at www.preventwildfireca.org /Permits.
“Yes, you really need a campfire permit,” confirmed Nicole Gilles, the executive director of the American Sand Association, “but they are super easy to obtain and it’s good for a year.”
Dune permits are $150 for a season, or $35 for a weekly permit if bought in advance. If you purchase a weekly permit on site at the ISDRA, the cost is $50.
Christmas might be the weekend to visit the ISDRA, as it is slightly less crowded, BLM rangers said.
“We don’t typically have a big crowd over the Christmas holiday. Typically visitors start arriving the day after Christmas with higher visitation over the New Year’s holiday,” the BLM El Centro Field Office said.
The giant “sandbox” near Yuma will turn into a what might seem like a major city through the Jan. 1 holiday.
“We are expecting around 75,000 for the New Year’s Holiday,” the BLM El Centro Field Office said. “New Year’s is typically our second busiest weekend of the year. Thanksgiving is our busiest.”
ASA President Bryan Henry cautioned riders who haven’t been out in a while about regulations on crossing railroad tracks and paying attention to current closures.
“In the north, the biggest problem is there is no legal way to cross the railroad tracks with an OHV,” he wrote in an interview with the Sun.
To the south, that area has been “more impacted by the critical habitat closures, especially Patton Valley, since the west side corridor from the sand highway has been closed,” he noted.
The closures were part of an updated recreational access management plan from 2013, among which closed several areas including the western entrance to Patton Valley, but opened up other areas that had long been shuttered to duners.
Rangers want to remind drivers and riders that while there are no weight or height restrictions in a side-by-side, helmets are required for anyone riding or operating an allterrain vehicle on public lands in California. All vehicles must also comply with California OHV laws.
For a complete list of rules, visit https://www. blm.gov/visit/imperialsand-dunes/rules-andregulations.