You have to come prepared, but you will be rewarded with a totally surreal landscape if you make the effort! The plan was to drive up thru Steel Pass, stop to visit the Warm Springs, then exit the park on Saline Valley Road. The Eureka Dunes are the second highest in the United States and stand 680 feet above the valley floor. It's a photographers playground. Isolated, beautiful, and pristine, the Eureka Dunes rise from the Eureka Valley floor, a gleaming mountain of sand framed by the rugged dark mountains of the Last Chance Range. When the leafy flower shoot is covered by windblown sand, roots sprout from the sides and a new rosette of leaves forms at the tip. We drove both sections, and would probably never opt for the 44 miles of teeth chattering fun from the Ubehebe Crater Road again. 190 or from the unpaved Sand Dunes Road. There is free camping including a central campground with about 10 sites, each one having a picnic table; a central pit toilet; but no water source. After finding many petroglyphs in the morning it was time to start the drive to my next destination- The Eureka Dunes. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. As paraglider pilots, sand makes a super fun and forgiving medium to play with the wind close to the ground, with low consequences. Elevation 2,887 ft / 879 m. Max Stay 30. Overall not many people here. This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. We have journeyed down all sorts of ridiculously remote roads in search of beautiful sand dunes, so much so that we have an ever-growing list of dunes and their respective wind directions to return to when the weather forecast looks juuuuust right. The dunes are the highest in California and some of the highest in the United States. Cancer-American Cancer Society: Discovery Shop Eureka. It took us about 2 hours to drive from from Beatty Junction to Eureka Dunes when we went. - See 122 traveler reviews, 129 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. We had heard about this remote corner of Death Valley for years, and had dreamed of making the journey someday. Eureka Dunes are accessible by most standard vehicles via the Death Valley /Big Pine Road. Great place to disconnect and great place to camp out, this is a free park. Great scenery and take the time to look down at... >> Volcanic Tablelands to the Eureka Dunes Photo Gallery Park here unless you have a 4WD vehicle. As we arrived back at our dreamy van home, the night was perfectly still. Drive for about 34 miles on a gravel road and go left onto the Eureka Dunes Access road. The dunes are the second highest in North America, but that wasn’t why we were there. Much of this gravel road is washboarded, but about 10 miles brings you to the dunes. The dunes cover an area only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, yet they are the tallest sand dunes in California, possibly the tallest in all of North America. They must have had sand in every nook, cranny and crack of everything they owned by the end of the day. Scenic and winding road, there’s a 10 miles rocks graded road not too bad 4WD vehicle is preferable. Explore! Eureka Dunes: Dunes worth the drive - See 122 traveler reviews, 129 candid photos, and great deals for Death Valley National Park, CA, at Tripadvisor. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and … When I was there there were no other people and occasionally a fighter jet would fly over. One tip: if you've got ski googles (or anything else that seals against your face, bring them! To be perfectly honest, our interest in them is usually selfish. Eureka Dunes: Worth the Long Drive! It took us about 2 hours to drive from from Beatty Junction to Eureka Dunes when we went. There was one other group in the campground, and a couple campers in outlying areas. Big Pine-Death Valley Road offers northern access to the Eureka Valley. But don't let us talk you out of a unique experience. We worked our way up, marveling at the softness of the sand, the fascinating patterns created by wind vortices, plants, and animals, and felt our legs burn as we neared the top. Eureka Dunes are the highest sand dunes in Death Valley, rising 700 feet above the Eureka Valley floor. We spent the first 7 hours of our visit to the Eureka Dunes trapped inside the van with the windows and doors locked up tight to try to avoid being sandblasted by one of the most impressive windstorms either one of us has ever experienced. ft. single-family home is a 3 bed, 2.0 bath property. Jul. Pristine dunes with lots of texture. Apparently second to the "Great Sand Dunes" in Colorado. Supporter Subscription Become a Campendium Supporter and enjoy ad-free browsing plus bonus features! We looked out over the Last Chance Mountains, breathed the dry air deeply, and took a flying leap back down the hill. The drive is a bit of a ways so we wanted to break up the drive after sitting in city traffic on a Friday. National Park 'campgrounds' we've ever encountered. Finally, as the sun grew long and night was closing in, the wind backed off enough for us to venture into the dunes. Vern's Furniture. A view across the Eureka Valley from the dunes. 16. There are 5 ways to get from Las Vegas to Eureka Dunes by bus, car, night bus or train. We made it to the dunes in about 90 minutes. The Eureka Dunes have been protected from motorized vehicles since 1978, when two of the endemic plant species were listed as federally endangered. There were picnic tables and fire rings (which only help if you brought something flammable--all you'll find around here is sand). By all means, if you've got a vehicle with great suspension or you're just a fan of your entire body and all the contents of your vehicle madly vibrating for 3 hours straight and not listening to music while you drive because the sound of your entire kitchen chattering is so loud it drowns out the radio, then go for it. We can generally be found playing outside with our dog Tala: hiking, biking, paddleboarding or paragliding.... or making burritos in our Sprinter Van. To explore the Eureka Valley, start your trip at the Eureka Dunes before heading south into the park. The dunes cover an area only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, yet they are the tallest sand dunes in California, possibly the tallest in all of North America. Tent Camping Yes. All within minutes of Eureka or Arcata. March 20, 2019: Sunrise shoot at 20 Mule Team Canyon, followed by breakfast and our drive north to Eureka Dunes for two days of shooting the tallest dunes in North America. The dunes themselves are impressive due to the height. 15. They are located north of Ubehebe Crater. The drive from where I live in Sonoma County is about ten hours and I only about 36 hours to get there and back. Eureka Sand Dunes - 1.5 Miles Round-Trip The Eureka Sand Dunes are the tallest dunes in Death Valley and all of California. Steel Pass Eureka Dunes 2.5 - GP Off Road trail in Beveridge, California (United States). The day I was there, I was fortunate enough to see a flyover of two F-22 Raptors from Nellis Air Force Base, NV streaking over at about 500 feet. Eureka Dunes can be reached on a GP rated road. The striated limestone bands of the Last Chance Mountains making up the background of Eureka Dunes remind me of an argyle sweater. We were sure too get there early enough to watch the sunset and shadows on the dunes. They also lend themselves to surrounding barren landscape in the Eureka Valley and the jaw dropping stripped Last Chance mountain range. The Eureka Dunes lie in the remote Eureka Valley, an enclosed basin at 3000 foot elevation located northwest of Death Valley. #Explore #VanLiving #VanLife #SprinterVan #DeathValley #California #RoadTrip #Destination #Campsites #Camping. Far in the upper corner of Death Valley National Park, laying next to the Last Chance Mountains that tower 4,000 feet above the valley floor, lie the Eureka Dunes reaching heights of 700 feet. Getting here is similar to the excursion out to Racetrack Playa: a long drive on rough gravel roads. From the Ubehebe Crater Road, you must travel 44 miles of graded dirt to the dunes. There were places where we drove up on the shoulder of the road because it was smoother than the road itself. Now our obsession with sand dunes isn't just limited to paragliding. Two hikers leave tracks in the sand below. Hi! Keep in mind that there is no cell service, no running water (ie no drinking water), no gas stations, and pretty much zero amenities and very few other visitors in this area of Death Valley. If you're coming from Big Pine, CA there are 28 miles of paved road and (only!) At nearly 700 feet, Eureka Dunes are some of the tallest in North America. [8] The scenery was … When we drove it, the road was totally dry and passable, just jarring straight to the core. View Map. Now, before we get any further telling you about how epic, amazing, deserted, beautiful, and remote the Eureka dunes are, we should mention the road. The eureka dunes are unforgettable. Both beach and river access complete with a boat launch. St Vincent De Paul. Eureka Dunes are the highest sand dunes in Death Valley, rising 700 feet above the Eureka Valley floor. Sand dunes cover 3 square miles (8 km 2) of Eureka Valley, rising 680 feet (207 m) as one of North America's tallest dunes. - YouTube It looked like it might topple over in the wind at any moment and was about half full of sand, but it did the trick for taking care of business. Eureka Rescue Mission: Thrift Store. Okay, to be honest, sand dunes in the desert is not that unexpected. When I started hiking back down from the high dunes this plant catching the last light, along with the ripples in the sand, caught my eye. Strolling the … The unique ecosystems can often be home to species that only survive in a tiny range, and the stark contrast of white or tan can make spectacular photographs, especially early and late in the day when the shadows grow long. It was as if we had the whole stark valley to ourselves, our own private sand dune castle in the sky. This is a place like none I have ever seen in California. The dunes can be approached from either Big Pine or Beatty Junction; the drive is shorter/easier from Big Pine, but both ways require a rather lengthy drive along a rough road, whose condition varies over the year. Isolated, beautiful, and pristine, the Eureka Dunes rise from the Eureka Valley floor, a gleaming mountain of sand framed by the rugged dark mountains of the Last Chance Range. A beautiful end to another amazing day. March 23, 2020: Sunrise shoot at Badwater Basin, followed by breakfast and our drive north to Eureka Dunes to photograph the tallest dunes in North America. Closed Sand Dune Areas Eureka Dunes. Rising close to 700 feet from the valley floor--what this dune field lacks in area, it makes up for in height. but a very tough trip and even more daunting if you want to see the back side. If the mountain range were a nerdy book worm the Eureka Dunes would be its funky burner best friend. And speaking of wind--oh the wind! 963 Eureka Dunes Ave , Henderson, NV 89012 is currently not for sale. Great scenery and take the time to look down at... 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