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Kelso Sand Dunes

Kelso Sand Dunes are located in the California desert in Mojave National Preserve. The Kelso Sand Dunes are open to hikers and photographers to enjoy.

The Kelso Sand Dunes are located in a remote section of California near the town of Baker, California. The dunes cover an area of about 45 square miles. The trailhead for the dunes is at the end of a three mile maintained dirt road that splits off of Kelbaker Road. Kelbaker road is accessible from both Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The tallest dunes rise to a height of 650 feet.

The Kelso Sand Dunes are known for the phenomena known as “singing sand”. This effect can be heard and felt when sliding down the dune after making the strenuous climb to the top. When sliding down you can experience a low-frequency rumble that can be both felt and heard. The effect is heard and felt even more when conditions are very dry. This effect can also be heard at other sand dunes around the world. It can take place at the Eureka Sand Dunes of Death Valley National Park in California, Sand Mountain in Nevada, and the Booming Dunes of the Namib Desert in Africa.

The Kelso Sand Dunes were created by southeast winds that blew fine grained sand from the Mojave River Sink. The color of the dunes is from golden rose quartz.

The formation of the dunes remained a mystery to Geologists for years. Only recently has the mystery been solved. By studying the sand and it’s mineral composition Geologists were able to determine that this sand came from the Mojave River sink. The sand was carried by winds blowing from the northwest of the Kelso Sand Dunes area. Near the dunes are the Providence and Granite mountains that blocked these winds. The sands of the Kelso Sand Dunes piled up at the base of these mountains to form the dunes.

The Kelso Sand Dunes are in one of the most remote areas of California. But the journey to visit the Kelso Sand Dunes to hike and photograph them are worth the drive to this remote area.