Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, April 2010

If you play your cards right, you can follow the previous posts from a snowy 11,000 foot peak (Telescope Peak), past some unique structures (the Charcoal Kilns and Eureka Mine), through an ancient canyon with cracked granite blocks (Mosaic Canyon) down to rolling sand dunes (Mesquite Flat) all within a day. That alone should make Death Valley a “must-do” in anyone’s book – I personally can’t think of another place world-wide where you can traverse such a variety of terrain in a day or less. Granted, if you’re going to do all of those things in a day, you’re going to need to get an early start, and move quick, but it is indeed possible.

What I’d personally recommend, however, is that you spread out these things over a couple days – no need to rush these things. The park’s been shaped over several eons, so you’ll definitely be able to see most of these things the next day, or the day after that as well. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are one of several dune fields within Death Valley, but are the most accessible to the majority of park visitors. If hiking the Kelso Dunes (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/1/20/kelso-dunes-mojave-national-preserve.html) is like being an extra in Star Wars, hiking the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes is a bit like being in the Sahara – surrounded by tall peaks, and in the path of trading caravans – or tourists. While the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes don’t speak and rumble like the Kelso Dunes do, and are usually full of tourists, they still have a fair amount of magic in their shifting grains of sand.

 Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, June, 2009

Directions: The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are three miles South of Stovepipe Wells, directly off of Highway 190 in Death Valley National Park. As of 2010, there is a nice new NPS parking lot, interpretive panels, bathroom, and signs directing visitors where to park. From the parking lot, it is a short walk into the dunes. Perhaps the most common complaint by hiking purists and other members of the backcountry community is that these dunes are too well-traveled and too busy. While it is more likely than not that you will encounter people within the first quarter mile of the parking area, once you enter into the dunes, the odds of encountering people decreases exponentially. While the dunes are not as remote as say, the Kelso Dunes, or the Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park, plenty of opportunities still exist to enjoy these dunes on your own.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, June 2009

As you can see from my photos above, taken in 2009 and 2010, I was at the dunes by myself. However, as I noted regarding Mosaic Canyon, timing is everything in life. Will the Dunes be busy when you are there? In predicting this, my outcome is hazy, but I say this: forget about whether it’s busy or not. Whether you enjoy it, people or no people, is all in your mind.

Tips: There is no “approved” trail into the dunes or to the top of the tallest dune. From what I’ve heard and experienced, the average person will likely walk two miles around the area. But, that distance is up to you – it could be more, it could be less. If you really want to get away from it all, I’d say you’re probably going to walk more than two miles, especially if you want to explore. What do I like to do in these dunes? I like to head up to the summit of the tallest dune and stare at the alien and varied expanse of Death Valley. If I had a sled, I’d definitely go sledding, much as I do in the Kelso dunes. I also like to head out and around to other dunes, looking for the remnants of old desert lakebeds and other strange things. What I will always do is make sure to have a map; or keep a visual reference on my vehicle, or some other fixed point so that I won’t get lost; and, I always make sure to have plenty of water in the valley of one of the world’s hottest (and in this location, sandiest) deserts. Also, if you're going to take photos of the dunes, the best time is early morning - sunrise, or shortly thereafter.

See you in the sand!

 Mesquite Flat San Dunes, April 2010

More Information: http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/sand-dunes.htm, http://www.hikespeak.com/trails/mesquite-flat-sand-dunes-in-death-valley/, http://www.panamintcity.com/sanddunes/mesquitedunes.html 

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve

Tatooine, er, Kelso Dunes, from the "trailhead"

I hate to make people jealous, but I have a confession: I’ve been to Tatooine. I’ll be even more honest – it wasn’t at Star Tours, and it wasn’t through any related Star Wars video games. And, as a further disclaimer, I’ll let you know that I haven’t gone completely around the bend yet, and it didn’t take place in a dream, or within the confines of my own head. Did you know that on Tatooine, the sand talks? In certain places, you can feel it saltating against your legs, and you can hear the whispering plink plink plinks as it bounces off your body. Even more interesting, when you’re out in the deep mountains of sand of its far reaches, you can hear the dunes peak to you with a deep bass timbre, in rumbling chords of booooom sssssssss boooom.

 Midway up the Kelso Dunes

But, before you call the men with the white coats, let me clarify where exactly on Tatooine I’ve been: I’ve been to the Kelso Dune portions of the planet only. What’s that you say? There’s no Kelso on Tatooine, and that the Kelso Dunes are on this planet? Fiiiiiiiiine, you got me. I am right about all of the above though – the sand in the Kelso Dunes talks; and if you’re there at the right time, it booms and sings – one of the few networks of sand dunes on the planet that does!

Directions: Head three light years past...alright, alright. If you’re in the Mojave National Preserve, you’re going to want to find Kelbaker Road, which will take you to the graded gravel turnoff. And, actually, if you’re outside the park you’ll want to take the Kelbaker Road exits from the I-15 or the I-40 as well. If you’re coming from the North, you’ll pass through Kelso before you get to the Dunes. Do note that there is no gas within the entirety of the Mojave National Preserve, so be sure to fill up prior to entering the park to explore.

View South from the Kelso Dunes - the distant line is the "trail" The Trail: Actually, there is no trail. Once you reach the parking area for the dunes, there is a pit toilet, some interpretive panels, and a short quarter mile segment heading due North into the dunes. From that point, it is every man, woman, and stormtrooper search party for themselves (and you thought I was done with the Star Wars references). It took me about an hour to reach the summit of what I perceived to be the highest dune from the parking lot.

While this may sound like an incredibly short distance; let me assure you that as you are headed uphill for almost the entirety of the hike/walk/desert trek/exploration, it is actually quite difficult and strenuous at times. Oh right, I forgot to mention why it is difficult: you are trekking uphill in sliding, slippery, shifting, foot sucking sand. Even if it is not hot when you are doing this, you will work up a sweat if you are headed to the top, I guarantee it. Should you not be headed to the top dune, you will also work up a sweat traveling around the dune field, as it is rigorous work at times. From the parking lot you can travel as short – or as long as you wish; however due note that dune travel can be disorienting, and should you head to a far far away dune, make sure you can orient yourself back.

 Dune sliding - tallyho!

Tips: If you’re going for photographs, I’d say the best times are either early in the day, when there are no footprints, or late in the day, when the light changes in the desert. My other tip is to get out there and enjoy the dunes. This is one of the few locations where off-roading is prohibited, so you can run, jump, slide, roll, and do just about anything down dune hills without the fear of being squashed by a vehicle. My suggestion: take a sled; old snowboard; lunch tray; inner tube; or anything that you can slide in; and head up part or all of the way up a dune and then slide down. And, if you don’t have a sliding object that you can use, head up, and slide down with just your feet causing as many savalanches of your own as you want.

Supplemental Tip: If you’re coming from the North, and you’re hungry, I recommend you stop in Kelso, where the National Park Service has renovated the old train station, and its diner, The Beanery. It’s a great spot to learn more about the park, and experience some of the history of the region. (http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/beanery.htm)

See you in the sand!

More Information: http://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/upload/MOJAmap1.pdf, http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/mojave/kelso1.html, http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/mojave/kelsosand.html, http://www.mydreamcametrue.com/dreamdesert.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_Dunes