At the end of every dune season, the Friends of Dumont Dunes and Barstow BLM hosts a cleanup event for Dumont Dunes. It's a tradition that has been going on for 17 years now. If you enjoy the dunes and would like to help us clean up the dunes or camp area of Dumont, come join us on Saturday morning for a few hours. Volunteers will get free entry to Dumont on March 15-17. Lunch will also be served!
When: Saturday March 16th, Check in starts at 8:00 AM
Where: At the Dumont visitor center/ ranger station area
Info from Friends of Dumont Dunes...
*** UPDATE ***
RE: Dumont Dunes Clean-up March, 16th 2019
As some of you already know, I suffered a pretty bad knee injury two weeks ago. I will heal but unfortunately I am unable to walk, let alone drive for the next 4-6 weeks at best.
Unable to put on the clean-up as I have in the past I proposed a few workarounds to the amazing staff at the BLM Barstow Field Office immediately following my injury. I have received word today that the BLM in conjunction with some FoDD board members and some great friends will be teaming up and taking on the role and ensuring that the clean-up will take place in my absence.
The food menu will be changed to a simpler hot dog/chili dog/nachos/chips/water configuration and their will not be a quick draw this year.
I apologize for the inconvenience, however, I would like for you and your family/group to continue to join in the mission of participating in the clean-up, making it a great time and enjoying doing the right thing for the place we all love.
I will make sure that next year's clean-up will be the biggest and best yet to make up for this last minute change.
Thank you for your time and support! I'll see all of you in October at the Trunk or Treat Season Opener!
Jason Ardenski
President
Friends of Dumont Dunes
The Las Vegas Jeep Club will be hosting their 47th annual Jeep Jamboree over President's Day Weekend at Dumont Dunes. The hill climbs will be on Saturday followed by the traditional 300' sand drag event on Sunday.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. This year it is on the 21st. MLK Weekend is never very busy. It is actually quite peaceful and most look at it as a "duners holiday weekend". It's a chance to escape the crowds and get some quality duning in without the added stress of traffic in the dunes.
UPDATE: The Banshee Wars and Four Stroke Wars have been cancelled due to the government shutdown. There isn't enough BLM staff to oversee the event.
A few things to keep in mind for MLK weekend 2019
Holiday Pass required: MLK Weekend is designated a holiday weekend by the BLM meaning a holiday pass is required. The holiday pass dates for MLK are as follows: Jan 15 thru Jan 21, 2019
Government Shutdown: Please not that if there is still a government shutdown, there will be no staff to clean the restrooms or restocking of TP, so make sure you bring your own. Please remember to always practice "pack it in/ pack it out" and haul your trash out. There will also be no fire or medical staff on site. Use 911 for emergencies.
Another year has passed and it's time to say goodbye to 2018. New Years Eve is on Monday night this year so make it a long weekend and ring in the new year in the sand at Dumont Dunes. Many people choose to spend the weekend out there, however it's not quite as busy as weekends like Halloween, Thanksgiving or President's Day. No matter how busy it is, always stay alert of other duners and never drink and dune. Always wear your safety equipment and come home in one piece.
A couple things to remember for New Years Weekend
holiday passes are required
Don't get caught with fireworks. You will be ticketed and they will be confiscated. If you still do light off fireworks, at least clean up the debris when done.
Keep dogs on leashes. Fireworks often scare them away and they go missing.
New Year's weekend is one of the coldest weekends out there so stock up on firewood and propane.
Government Shutdown: Dumont Dunes will remain open during the government shutdown; however, the restrooms will not be cleaned. Additionally, BLM Law Enforcement Rangers will be working during the shutdown for public safety. There will be no medical or fire personnel on site. Use 911 for emergencies.
New Years at Dumont is a great party and there's no better place to be when the ball drops. Have a fun and safe weekend if you are headed out!
Calling all sandcars! Come join us at Dumont Dunes for our 6th Annual Buggy Roundup. This is a group trip for all the sandrail members of DDR. We'll be camped as a group across from bathroom 10, just off the right side of the entrance road. This trip gives the buggy owners of Dumont a chance to meet each other and run the dunes together for a full weekend without the crowds. So don't be a stranger. Every year we have new people join the camp and end up leaving as friends.
There is no set schedule of events, but Saturday will likely go something like this...
8:00 AM-?: SandCars and Coffee- Pull your car into the center of camp, bring your coffee and let's say good morning and arrange a morning ride.
Saturday Afternoon: The rest of the day will be dune runs, hangout, maybe bust out Ben's scales and weigh a few buggies, more dune runs, probably a group photo, some more dune runs, and it seems every year a couple guys always participate in their own impromptu huckfest when we stop at the jump back behind comp hill.
Saturday night: We'll have carne and pollo asada tacos for everyone in camp, enjoy some campfire and talk some smack. Chad, aka dentboy, may put his projector up for some nightime movies, UFC, or something entertaining. There may even be some games of flipcup!
As you see it's very laid back and we don't put any expectations or schedules on the weekend. Afterall it's the dunes. Let's go have some fun.
Want in? Here's what you need to do.
1) log in and RSVP on the event page by clicking GOING...
2) Post up on the forum topic that your coming.
Add a pic of your car and rig so we know who ya are. (optional)
3) Pull up and park with the group.
You know how that works. "Hey man, cool if I park here?" Let's see what kind up messed up circle we can create this year!
FAQs
I don't have a sandcar. I have a sxs/bike/quad. Can I come anyways? Of course. We love meeting and hanging out with all our friends from DDR. We only ask that everyone respect that this is an annual trip focused on the buggies of Dumont and that you please stay behind the cars on the dune runs. Different machines don't mix well when it comes to high horsepower machines. Also, if and when we do a group buggy pic, it's just for the buggies please.
Do I need to contribute anything for taco night? No. That is something we do to say thanks for coming out. If you have a side dish or something that goes well with tacos, feel free to bring it. It's definitely not necessary though. We usually have a good spread.
I want to go but I don't know anyone. That's perfect. Come out and make some new friends. Introduce yourself. Everyone that comes out each year is super cool.
Do you guys run the dunes on Sunday too? Yes! Although some only make a day trip on Saturday or pack it up and leave first thing Sunday morning, many of us are there until late in the day on Sunday.
How early can I go out? Will there be anyone there on Wed or Thurs? I (Pete) will be out there Thursday night sometime. There may be others going out earlier and grabbing the spot before me. The best way to find out and coordinate that is on the forum topic. Post up and we'll chat about it.
So don't forget to RSVP! We need to know you are coming. Hope to see you all there!
According to a CHP news release, around 1:00 AM on Tuesday morning, two men from Sacramento were traveling up a dune south of Banshee Hill when the vehicle "rapidly approached the top of the sand dune and became airborne. When the Polaris landed on the back side of the sand dune, it began to overturn." The driver, 44 years old, was air-lifted with neck injuries while the passenger, a 40-year-old, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
CHP believes alcohol was involved and the incident is under investigation.
A second RZR accident resulted in another fatality late Wed night/ early Thursday morning...
Can you believe the holidays are almost here? That means Thanksgiving is right around the corner! It is a week-long dune trip for some groups when friends and families gather at the dunes to prepare their annual feasts. This is also the weekend where you can catch the waterpumpers!
What is a waterpumper?
A waterpumper is a water-cooled, V8 powered buggy, typically front engine design and with massive or multiple paddle tires. Back in the 60's and 70's, the only buggies you would see at the dunes were cars that were powered by air-cooled engines, typically Volkswagens and Corvairs. When the Dune Masters formed in 1968, they were putting together V8 powered buggies originally built from cut-down car frames. Back then, water-cooled engines were new to the scene. They soon took on the name, "waterpumpers".
The Dunemasters and Sandpipers Group will be meeting there for their 50th year of Thanksgiving at Dumont Dunes! Most of their group will have families with 3 and 4 generations.
photo courtesy of Dunemasters & Sandpipers
Catch the waterpumpers in action as they compete in their annual hill climbs and drag races.
Schedule
Friday 10 AM at Comp Hill: Hill Climbs
Saturday 10 AM: Drag Races along the backstretch towards North Pole.
The late Milt Clements completing at the Dune Masters’ 1970 Thanksgiving Hill Climbs at Dumont Dunes.
Photo courtesy of Bill LeFever
The dust has finally settled and everyone has made it home safely from another great weekend at Dumont Dunes. Over 12,000 excited duners headed out to be part of the annual Halloween tradition. Some came out for the thrill of running the dunes while others were just there to party in the stimulating atmosphere of Dumont. If you've been going out to Dumont for a while, you are used to hearing about accidents, arrests, and medical calls when these many people get together on a big holiday weekend. But this year was different. Although law enforcement issued 68 citations, NO arrests were made and there were NO major medical calls. Even during peak duning hours when the dunes had a ton of traffic, our group noticed drivers and riders were very alert, using hand signals (the ones with more than one finger 😁), yielding to others, and just plain playing it safe to avoid any close calls or collisions.
photo by Christine Potter
These bird's eye views show how the camp area was loaded with circles of campers.
Even during the day when temperatures were in the 90's, Comp Hill was full of people!
Vendor Row was slightly smaller this year, but shaved ice and ice cream vendors stayed busy serving up stuff to keep everyone cool.
When it came time to trick-or-treat, the camp decorations went up and everyone got into their costumes. It seems many groups try to one-up each other (or themselves) each year which is great! Everyone really gets into the Halloween spirit out there, especially the Romo Motorsports camp. They all dressed up in wacky inflatable costumes. Some hit up camps the old fashion Dumont way and a large crowd gathered at the 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat put on by Friends of Dumont Dunes and the BLM. It was much more organized this year and the organizers and LEOs did a great job of keeping it safe. Over 5000 people showed up.
photo by Romo Motorsports
photo by Brooke Ardenski
photo by Heather N Siders
The costume party continued at Comp Hill at night especially when a dance stage, complete with lights and music, was trailered over. It drew quite a crowd but eventually came to a halt when law enforcement shut it down.
photo by Mike Colosimo
Follow the Halloween Trip Reports and Discussion here...
Halloween Weekend kicks off the 18/19 dune season at Dumont Dunes. With the cooler fall weather arriving, thousands of duners will be heading out to the dunes to celebrate the first big holiday weekend on Oct 27/28th.
Trick-Or-Treating
Although Halloween is officially Oct 31st (Wednesday), trick or treating is a Saturday night tradition at Dumont. So be prepared with a bucket of candy to hand out to the little duners and get into the Halloween spirit with your costumes and decorations. It's probably one of the most festive weekends of the season. The last two years have been some of the biggest turnouts in years. With all the extra excitement it's easy to get carried away out there so don't forget about the 15mph camp speed limit and general rules of Dumont. Look out for each other, keep your head on a swivel, and practice safe duning! We want everyone to have a fun weekend out there without anyone getting hurt.
Trunk or Treat
Friends of Dumont Dunes plans on doing their Truck or Treat again. Stay tuned for more details as it gets closer!
Light up the Halloween Spirit
Whether you are partying at comp hill, trick-or-treating from camp to camp, or cruising down vendor row or through the dunes, it's always fun to light up your ride!
1) LED whips are a must have these days!
2) You can use battery-powered lights to decorate your UTV, buggy or ATV. Go with orange, purple, or both!
3) Hang some Halloween colored lights on your RV or toyhauler.
Season and Weekly Halloween passes
If you plan on visiting Dumont any time between Oct 23 thru Oct 29th, you will need a holiday pass.
1. You can purchase a season pass with holidays ($120) or a weekly holiday pass ($40) good for the Halloween weekend dates from a participating off-site vendor. See a full list of vendors on our passes page.
2. You can also purchase a weekly pass from the self-serve machine at the Dumont entrance.
Join the Halloween Discussion
Share your Camp Coordinates with Your Friends
Find where you'll be camped on the map and send this map with the coordinates to your friends so it's easier to find each other when headed out.
