Day 1: San Diego - Ocotillo - El Centro
On the first day, San Diego Dune Tours will pick you up from San Diego and drive you out to Ocotillo, where you will meet and greet the guides, get your bike (an option of Honda CRF150s, 230s, 450s; XR250s, 400s, 650s; and / or YZF450s) and get your gear fitted. Then you'll head to the hot springs hotel, where you'll have a nice dinner and pool, spa and restaurant access. Get to bed early for the long day ahead of you tomorrow.
Day 2: Ocotillo - El Centro
On the second day, San Diego Dune Tours will take you through Ocotillo, where you will be riding 70 - 110 miles. You'll see Superstition Sand Dunes, a huge range of sandy mountains with a birds-eye view of the entire desert; Painted Gorge, beautiful canyons painted in hues of red, green, and blue dirt; The Sand Bar, where locals and tourists alike have posted all sorts of off-road memorabilia; The Cross Monument, a huge iron cross erected by one of the locals; historic military sites including huge piles of used artillery and an abandoned Russian tank; and even F-18s dropping practice bombs!
Day 3: Ocotillo Wells
On the third day, San Diego Dune Tours will take you out to Ocotillo Wells. This site is both geologically and historically unique. San Diego Dune Tours will show you places like Gas Dome, where large gaseous bubbles emerge from the surface of the earth; Pumpkin Patch, where the earth has forced up round pumpkin like shapes; Shell Reef, where you can see 4-million-year-old fossilized shells; and Blowsand Hill, where the wind has slowly piled up large amounts of sand into a small dune.
Day 4: Glamis Sand Dunes
Day four will consist of a trip to Glamis Sand Dunes, "Sand Capital of the World". Glamis is the largest off-highway vehicle recreation area for sand dunes in the United States. The dunes out here are big and beautiful and are not for the faint of heart. Here you can see Competition Hill, where all types of off-road vehicles race to the top; the Chocolate Mountains, which looks very similar to swirled chocolate; the Glamis Beach Store, a popular tourist spot and stomping ground for off-road riders; and the Boardmanville Trading Post, a hot spot and bar in the area. This part of the trip is available during October - March.
Day 5: Gordon's Well
On day five, San Diego Dune Tours will be taking you to Gordon's Well, another section of the famous Algodones Dunes. Here they have Dune Buggy Flats, where drag racing can sometimes be seen; 5 Mile Drop; and Patton Valley, home of the General George S. Patton Memorial Museum.
Day 6: Buttercup
On the sixth and final day of riding, you'll be riding through Buttercup, sand dunes close enough that you can touch the border fence of Mexico. The dunes here are on the smaller side but still a lot of fun. Riders also have the option of spending day 5 and day 6 in Mexico for an additional 250 USD per person (Rosarito, Mexicali, and Ensenada in the mountains or on the beach).
Day 7: Departure to San Diego
It's time to head home. You will have breakfast and then a drive back to San Diego. San Diego Dune Tours hope you enjoyed your adventure!
Notes
When you ride at Glamis Sand Dunes, you can have paddle tires installed if needed for 120 USD.
Intermediate
- can ride for 3-4 hours
- average riding experience
- little assistance required
- comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- average experience with unsurfaced roads
- steep ascents and descents
Advanced
- can ride for 5-6 hours
- extensive riding experience
- assistance on demand (if required)
- experienced with riding a variety of motorcycles
- comfortable with any terrain and weather conditions
