Hey Fashionistas,

This is my last post of our day trip to Mojave Desert Preserve. We wanted to see the joshua trees but also catch the sunset at the Kelso Dunes.

The Kelso dunes, also known as the Kelso Dune Field, is the largest sand deposit field in the Mojave Desert. They are about 650 feet tall. The kelso dunes are a bit over a 30-minute drive from joshua trees which are near the entrance of the park. So once again it was a run against time. Our idea was to climb the kelso dunes to enjoy the sunset.

We started driving on a paved road, just the last 30 minutes stretch is on an unpaved road with numerous potholes. The sun slowly started to set but our idea was to catch the sunset from the top of the dunes but unfortunately the unpaved road slowed us down. The kelso dunes have a small parking lot area with a restroom. It’s a three miles round trip from the parking lot to the dunes.

When we arrived at the parking lot it was clear to us that there is no way we would be able to climb the dunes, they are huge! What starts out as a trail, dissolved the further you go. The wind and sand constantly reshape the surrounding and cover up footprints, which prevents the formation of a permanent trail. So, it’s up to you to find a way to the summit.

Since the sun starts setting, we decided to run to make it as close as possible to the Kelso dunes. Even though we run, the dunes didn’t seem to come closer. Sooner or later we spotted a place to watch the sun go down and the stars come up.

We walked a bit further but returned back to the parking lot when the sun disappeared behind the dunes. The night sky started to appear and stars were visible. The Kelso dune area is one of the darkest places in the Mojave Desert Preserve to see the stars. Walking back to the car, we realized how far we had run. On our way back we admired stars and bats flying around.

If you decide to climb the kelso dunes be sure to bring time. It takes around 3 hours to climb the dunes. Even though we did not climb the dunes the view was still absolutely stunning.

Thanks for stopping by!