Conditions described here were accurate only as of the date shown and may have changed. This is not a substitute for current official information from the agency with jurisdiction. See the full notice. Full notice.
Glamis Season Is Open, With the Ranger Station Moved to Cement Flats
Permits are required at the Imperial Sand Dunes from October 1 to April 15. The Cahuilla station is coming down, and Cement Flats is closed to camping.
The permit season at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, the BLM's busiest site, began October 1 and runs to April 15. A permit is required for the primary vehicle, the street-legal one that brings you there. Weekly permits are $55 bought in advance and $70 on site, and a season permit is $185. Buy them online at isdpermits.net or from approved off-site vendors.
The big change this season is the ranger station. The BLM vacated the Cahuilla Ranger Station off Gecko Road in April and plans to demolish it late this year, with a new station due in summer 2028. Until then, a temporary ranger station at Cement Flats sells permits and has emergency medical trailers for walk-in injuries.
That means Cement Flats itself is off-limits. A BLM order closed the Cement Flats area to camping and recreation from September 8, 2026, through February 2028 while it serves as the temporary station. Pick another camp.
Permits are not needed for day visits to Osborne Overlook, the Plank Road site, Buttercup Ranger Station or the Watchable Wildlife Area. In an emergency, call 911; the El Centro Field Office is at 760-337-4400.
Sources