Ladder Canyon + Imperial Dunes

Kid Friendly / Family Camping Trip

Overview

Join us as we visit a couple beautiful slot canyons in the desert east of the Salton Sea and end our trip walking barefoot in the massive Imperial dunes.

NOTE: this is a primitive camping experience - there are vault toilets but no water. We’ll be camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land so there are no camping fees.

Over the years I’ve done this trip in a 2WD Nissan Murano and a 2WD Honda Odyssey. Last year we had 2WD cars, minivans and even a U-Haul make the trek but it is a dirt road for the last few miles. I’m going to attempt a drive out within 2 weeks of this event to confirm its passable still for 2WD as the dirt roads wash out in bad rain.

Friday 2/16/24 - Sunday 2/18/24 Monday 2/19/24.

WEATHER UPDATE 2/13

We should cut the trip a day short to avoid the rain. Still plenty of fun to be had!

Agenda

• Day 1

  • late afternoon setup camp

• Day 2

  • more arrivals

  • Option: casual day / kid friendly slot canyon exploration near camp

  • Option: ladder canyon and painted canyon trail on alltrails (4.4 miles moderate)

    • the first part of this is worth doing, even if you’ve got toddlers.

  • Option: ropes canyon trail on alltrails (2.1 miles moderate)

  • Option: hang out at camp

• Day 3

  • Option: ladder canyon and painted canyon trail on alltrails (4.4 miles moderate)

    • the first part of this is worth doing, even if you’ve got toddlers.

  • Option: ropes canyon trail on alltrails (2.1 miles moderate)

  • Option: hang out at camp

• Day 4

  • AM teardown camp

  • PM drive (2 hrs) to Imperial Dunes

  • Evening drive home (3 hrs)

Ladder Canyon - Mecca, CA

When: Saturday / Sunday

There are multiple trails we can explore at varying skill levels. From camp itself we’ll be able to walk through a kid friendly slot canyon. Then we’ll carpool up to the main trailhead for Ladder Canyon and / or Ropes Canyon depending on skill / ability / interest. The more advanced areas would be difficult for young kids, Kenzo I believe is old enough to complete the full ladder canyon loop that’s 4 miles and shouldn’t take us more than 3 hours.

For more specifics about the trail(s) themselves check out the detailed routes on alltrails.

Imperial Dunes - Glamis, CA

When: Monday afternoon

Note Glamis can be incredibly crowded and is popular with off road users of all kinds. That being the case that’s why we’re slated to be at the dunes on a Monday afternoon when most people have left for the holiday weekend. Since we’ll just be walking around and have kids in tow, that’ll be safer, quieter for our group.

Join the adventure!

This year I’m trying something new and will do RSVP, updates and checklists on guestboard - https://guestboard.co/join/sQXiRxNfAMsk7ZE7